Holiday season 2021: Things to do in and around Quebec

That’s it, we get to December and then we leave 2021 behind us! The range of activities to do in Quebec during the holiday season is always generous. What’s more, we’re a little freer than last year…at least for now.

Here are some great ideas for things to do in and around Quebec , some free, some not, that you can enjoy during this December and the 2021 holiday season. Snow or not, we will adapt.

DIY ideas:

• Making our own gingerbread tree decorations. Did you know that I made mine over 25 years ago with my daughter and that I still use them, minus the icing? However, be careful if you have a dog at home, you risk that it helps itself to the bottom of the tree.
• We create a new cocktail that we christen with an original name after buying our SAQ gift card at the grocery store with our American Express Cobalt^MD Card. With this technique, this card offers you 5X points in many stores. Then show us your brilliantly named creation on the Milesopedia Facebook group.

Then, we go to discover a new park or trail in the surroundings:

• I hear that the Parc Jean Drapeau’s winter trails in Montreal are quite beautiful and that the free or voluntary ” Christmas in the Park” shows in Montreal are worth it!
• The Agnico Eagle trail of the Val-d’or Recreational Forest usually becomes icy at the end of December and allows skaters to enjoy a nice glide on a 2 km loop in the forest.
• The same in Wakefield, Outaouais where, on December 18, a brand new skating labyrinth will open in the Éco-Odyssée nature park. For over five kilometres, two of which are described as magical, the experience costs $20. Shall we go?

Let’s continue with other activities to do in Quebec and Ontario:

• In Quebec City, we visit the illuminated interactive trail Plein les yeux et les oreilles, which returns to Place Jean-Béliveau from December 1 to March 13. We continue with the luminous journey of the lampshades on Rue Cartier Lumières sur l’art. What a wonderful idea!
• In Trois-Rivières, go to Noël en lumière at the Notre-Dame-du-Cap Shrine. Frozen pâtés prepared in the sanctuary’s kitchens and cheeses from St-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey will be offered in the on-site shop.
• In Baie St-Paul, you can stroll down rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste in lights.
• Marvel at the Christmas Lights Tour in Canada’s Capital, November 30 to January 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. The illumiNATION multimedia projection will be presented on Parliament Hill in Ottawa every evening at 8:00 p.m. from December 17 to January 7.

Finally, as a free activity to do in Quebec, I thought I would suggest that you “pay it” forward. Yes, yes. Isn’t the holiday season one of sharing?

We offer a half-day or a full day of volunteer work with the family. Where? Here are some suggestions. But there are probably others in your area:

• Become a volunteer (Montreal)
• PAS de la rue (Montreal)
• Media Food Drive and others (street collection on December 2 throughout Quebec and elsewhere)
• Meals on Wheels Association (MMFA)
• Robin des bois: A restaurant that gives back to charity. The tasks vary according to the needs and age of the participants.

In fact, whether or not it’s an expensive activity depends on you. We are talking about outdoor Christmas markets, which abond in Quebec in December.

This is the time to encourage our local artisans, buy local products or simply visit the markets for the festive atmosphere, with a glass of wine or hot chocolate in hand. You will find 17 of them grouped here:

• Christmas Market Route

Special mention should be made of the German Market in Quebec City, which, in addition to its usual locations in the Hôtel-de-Ville gardens, Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville and Ste-Anne Street, will expand its activities to Place d’Youville and Place d’Armes in 2021.

Why not seize the opportunity to book two nights for the price of one in one of the hotels in Quebec City?

I add 7 other markets:

• Etsy Holiday Market
• Christmas Markets and Arts and Crafts Shows in the Mauricie
• Montebello Market
• Grand Fairy Tour of Montreal, (Jean-Talon Market, Grand Marché de Noël, the Christmas Village).
• In Gentilly, Centre-du-Québec, check out the lovely outdoor European Christmas market Meunier, tu fêtes. Many activities are planned.
• In Baie St-Paul, the BSP Christmas Market and the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Winter Market starting December 11 in La Malbaie.

Other suggestions for activities to do in Quebec at Christmas:

• The traditional Desjardins Illuminated Village of the Quebec village of yesteryear in Drummondville, which returns this year. It opens on December 3 and will remain open every day during the holiday season. Animation in the streets, horse-drawn carriage rides, donut shop and Christmas market await you.

I’ll end the Christmas shopping chapter with two suggestions:

• The online version of the Chaudières-Appalaches region: the Christmas Gift Card Store. You can choose from a large selection of gift cards starting at $25. Restaurants, Activities, Lodging and Gourmet pleasures, all from local businesses. A 15% discount is granted with the code NOEL2021 . You can also pay by credit card and PayPal, which is perfect for unlocking a bonus!
• And if you find yourself in Gaspésie, it’s a good idea to fill up on seafood. Come here, little lobsters, crabs, shrimps and others. These 3 fishmongers and smokehouses are open in December: Poissonnerie La Coquille, in Caplan, Atkins et frères in Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis, and in New-Richmond, Fumoir Cascapédia Smokehouse.

Still under the heading of activities to do in Quebec that are not too expensive, let me remind you how popular FAT BIKE (bike with oversized tires) is in Quebec.

Many regions offer rental at reasonable cost, or even free for those under 17. With the exception of Mont Tremblant, SEPAQ parks welcome minors accompanied by their parents free of charge.

They will spend between $21.75 and $62.50 per day depending on the number of hours they rent.

Should we pick it up or have it delivered? Here are 6 places to pick your own, but there are so many others. Come and add them to our Facebook group:

• La Sapinière de la Mauricie in St-Étienne-des-Grès
• Les Sapins de Noël in Henryville
• Quinn Farm in Notre-Dame-de-l’île-Perrot
• JLS plantation in the Eastern Townships and Montérégie
• The Sapinière St-Jean in St-Jean-Chrysostome
• Verger Champêtre in Granby

Would you like to spoil yourself? Here are some examples of activities to do in Quebec:

• The Nutcracker is back. This ballet, which speaks to our inner child, will be presented in Montreal and Quebec City in 2021 with an adapted version. Since children aged 12 and under, who are usually very present in this ballet, cannot participate, a brand new creation, The Enchanted Gift , will be presented as the opening act. It will be followed by the classic and much loved Clara’s Journey.
• Are you reckless? In the Mont Catherine forest, in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, you can try the adventure of a mega-tyrolean traverse that drops 100 metres from the ground. A fire in the tepee installed at the top of the mountain allows you to warm up before the big slide. The short hike to get there is 1.3 km.

Other activities to do in Quebec for nature lovers:

• Have you always dreamed of a dog sled ride? So why not this year. As soon as snow covers the ground, they’ll be waiting for you in several regions of Quebec. Here is a duly certified company in Val-des-Lacs: Kanatha-Aki Nature Activity Centre.
• We’ve already talked about the Refuge Pageau in Amos, Abitibi. Well, you should know that this year it has a 4-season camp that allows you to live an immersive experience. You will have a guide when visiting resident animals such as moose, deer, raccoons and others. In addition, you will be able to hear the howling of the wolves at night, snuggled up under your duvet.

And these other activities to do in Quebec:

• Do you know the Woodooliparc theme park located in the small town of Scott in Beauce? Would you like to experience Frima? Storytelling, campfires, elves in a magical forest, a maze, slides, tunnels and more. And if you want to take the experience a step further, you can go there on December 31 to dance and celebrate in the illuminated paths with the folk group “La Grand’Débâcle”.
• In the same line, in Mirabel, Gerbes d’Angelica are at the ninth edition of their Christmas fairy. Decorated and illuminated footpaths, a gingerbread village, characters from fairy tales and legends in the barn, and nothing less than Santa and Mrs. Claus accompanied by the ice queen. The real thing!

And I close the ball of activities to do in Quebec with a few suggestions of SPAs open all year long to relax, take your time, reward yourself:

• Le Strom Spa Nordique in Nun’s Island, Mont-St-Hilaire, Sherbrooke and Old Quebec City
• UniversSpa Nordik in Rivière-du-Loup.
• Nordik Spa-Nature in Chelsea, Outaouais.
• La Source-Bains Nordiques in Rawdon, Lanaudière.
• Le Baluchon, SPA Nordique in St-Paulin, in Mauricie.

So many choices of activities to do in Quebec in December and during the holiday season!

December will definitely be busy. Whether you are alone, with friends or with your family, there are many suggestions to suit all budgets. Don’t be afraid! Risk it! And earn points!

Some of you will also be returning to travel when you leave the province or the country. To spend your points! In both cases, we wish you a Happy December and Holiday season. Subscribe to our newsletter and join the Milesopedia community.