Dates, hours and prices for the 2026 season, checked against official pages on 2026-10-29. Where an organizer has not announced 2026 details, we say so.
Where to see the best Christmas lights in Ottawa
The best Christmas lights in Ottawa for 2026 are Magic of Lights, a drive-through show at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean (Nov 20 to Jan 2), and Winter Lights Across Canada, the federal lights along Confederation Boulevard (Dec 7 to Jan 7). Add the Ottawa Christmas Market at Lansdowne, Taffy Lane in Orleans, and Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg.
Drive or walk, paid or free: Magic of Lights is the only drive-through on this list, and you pay per car. Saunders Farm is a stroll past light displays after dark, and the Cumberland and Upper Canada Village shows light up heritage villages. Winter Lights and the Christmas Market are outdoors in the core, and Ottawa Tourism lists the market as free. For the full winter calendar, see our Ottawa events guide.
Magic of Lights Ottawa: dates, times and tickets
Magic of Lights Ottawa runs Nov 20, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027 at Wesley Clover Parks, 411 Corkstown Rd, Nepean, in the west end near Kanata. It is a two-kilometre drive-through route with over two million lights, and the organizer calls 2026 its 11th season. It supports CHEO.
Hours: from Nov 20 to Dec 10, Monday to Thursday 5 to 9 pm and Friday to Sunday 5 to 10 pm. From Dec 11 to Jan 2, 5 to 10 pm every night. The official page gives no running time for the drive.
Prices are per vehicle. A November-only ticket for a standard car is $25.99 online or $27.00 at the gate. Santa Saver tickets, sold online and good on any night of the season, are $33.99 for any day or $30.50 for Monday to Thursday until Nov 19, then $37.99 and $35.00. A season pass is $97.99. A limo or party bus costs $43.99 online or $45.00 at the gate in November.
Christmas lights downtown: Winter Lights Across Canada
Winter Lights Across Canada, formerly Christmas Lights Across Canada, runs every evening from Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 7, 2027. It started in 1985 and lights sites along Confederation Boulevard in Ottawa and Gatineau.
The 2026 route, in order: National War Memorial, Rideau Canal Park, Confederation Park, Mackenzie Triangle, Reconciliation: The Peacekeeping Monument, Jacques-Cartier Park, the Garden of Provinces and Territories, Portage Park and the Supreme Court of Canada. Canada.ca offers a pathway of lights map but does not list lighting hours. Parliament Hill is not named on the 2026 route, and no 2026 projection show has been announced.
Not announced yet for 2026: the ByWard Market tree lighting, Sparks Street lights and Trees of Hope at the Chateau Laurier. We will add them when organizers publish dates. More on the area in our ByWard Market guide.
The Ottawa Christmas Market at Lansdowne
The Ottawa Christmas Market sits on Aberdeen Plaza at Lansdowne, on Marché Way. Ottawa Tourism lists free admission and these 2026 dates: Nov 20 to 22, Nov 27 to 29, Dec 11 to 13, Dec 18 to 20 and Dec 31. The listing links to more dates, so check it for additions.
Expect vendor cabins with local goods, seasonal food, displays and live performances. Hours for 2026 are not listed yet. Nearby food and coffee are in our Glebe guide.
Christmas lights in Orleans, Cumberland and the rural west
Taffy Lane in Orleans is the best-known decorated street in the city. Narcity reported (updated 2021) that the Abercrombie family started decorating in 1977, that their show starts at 5 pm on Dec 1 and runs through December, and that their house had over 13,000 LED lights. OttawaStart counted over 30 lit houses in 2013. No organizer confirms a 2026 run, so treat it as likely, not certain. See our Orleans guide for the area.
A Country Christmas at Saunders Farm, 7893 Bleeks Road, runs Dec 4 to 30, 2026 per Ottawa Tourism, with a stroll through holiday light displays after dark. Hours and prices for 2026 are not posted on that listing.
Vintage Village of Lights at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, 2940 Old Montreal Road, lights a 1920s and 30s village, with Santa and gingerbread cookie decorating. Ottawa Tourism lists its 2026 dates as to be announced. We found no verified 2026 displays in Kanata or Barrhaven, and nothing official yet on Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm.
Christmas lights near Ottawa: Upper Canada Village and beyond
Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village, 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, has over one million lights. 2026 nights: Nov 27 to 29, Dec 3 to 6, Dec 10 to 13, Dec 17 to 23, and Dec 26 to Jan 2. Accessibility nights are Dec 2, 9 and 16. It opens at 5 pm; the official page lists a 9 pm close in one section and 8 pm in another, so confirm the closing time.
Admission, plus HST: adults $18, seniors $17, students 13 to 17 $16, youth 5 to 12 $15, and children 4 and under free. The miniature toy train is $8 plus HST for ages 5 and up.
For a bigger show, the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls is called Canada's largest outdoor light festival on the Clifton Hill event page. That page lists it as free, from Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Where to warm up after the lights
These picks come from our ranked lists, dated 2026-10-29 and ranked by our published formula. Near Winter Lights and the ByWard Market: Opulence Coffee (#3 in coffee shops, 4.9 from 841 reviews), PurpleX (#1 in desserts, 5.0 from 618) and Tayanti Peruvian (#4 in restaurants, 4.9 from 1,041).
Near the Lansdowne market: Strati Tiramisù at 891 Bank St (#7 desserts, 4.9 from 282) and Lotus of Siam at 925 Bank St (#9 restaurants, 4.9 from 754). Toward Magic of Lights, in Kanata: Z3 Specialty Coffee (#10 coffee, 4.8 from 610) and Kanzan Japanese Grill (#2 restaurants, 4.9 from 1,782); more in our Kanata guide. Near Taffy Lane in Orleans: Seau de Crabe (#16 restaurants, 4.8 from 2,396) and Beyond Cafe (#24 coffee, 4.7 from 801).
Questions and answers
What time does Magic of Lights Ottawa start?
It opens at 5 pm every night. From Nov 20 to Dec 10 it closes at 9 pm Monday to Thursday and 10 pm Friday to Sunday. From Dec 11 to Jan 2 it closes at 10 pm nightly.
How long is Magic of Lights Ottawa?
The route is two kilometres long, driven in your own car. The official page gives no drive time. The season runs Nov 20, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027.
What events are happening at the Ottawa Christmas Market in 2026?
Ottawa Tourism lists vendor cabins, seasonal food, displays and live performances, with dates Nov 20 to 22, Nov 27 to 29, Dec 11 to 13, Dec 18 to 20 and Dec 31. Hours are not listed yet.
What is the largest light show in Ontario?
The Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls is described on the Clifton Hill event page as Canada's largest outdoor light festival. It runs Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Is there a free Christmas lights show in Ottawa?
The Ottawa Christmas Market at Lansdowne is listed as free. Winter Lights Across Canada lights public outdoor sites downtown every evening from Dec 7 to Jan 7.
Sources
- Magic of Lights Ottawa. Checked .
- Canada.ca: Winter Lights Across Canada. Checked .
- Canada.ca: About Winter Lights Across Canada. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Ottawa Christmas Market. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: A Country Christmas at Saunders Farm. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Vintage Village of Lights. Checked .
- Upper Canada Village: Alight at Night. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Alight at Night. Checked .
- Narcity: Taffy Lane (updated Dec 20, 2021). Checked .
- OttawaStart: Taffy Lane in Orleans (2013). Checked .
- Clifton Hill: Winter Festival of Lights. Checked .
- fromOttawa ranked lists (coffee shops, desserts, restaurants), data pulled 2026-10-29. Checked .