Big cities may offer the razzle dazzle of the holidays with Christmas bars, parades, and sprawling Christmas Markets, but sometimes the heartwarming charm of a small-town Christmas is what you need to recapture the holiday joy. That was exactly what I found in Nova Scotia this December.
Walking through the Miracle on Dock Street celebration in Shelburne, I felt as though I’d stumbled onto the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Mingling with the locals, I kept waiting for the classic scene to unfold before my eyes of the small-town girl returning from the big city and bumping into her high school love or a similar Christmas meet-cute scenario.
All around me, neighbors gathered in the cold, with kids bundled up in snowsuits and stuffed into wagons and strollers, lining up to meet Santa while the teens clustered around fire pits. Pedestrians wandered down the blocked-off streets, taking a peek at the community-decorated floats that made up the walk-through Christmas Parade.
The farmer’s market was transformed into a Christmas craft fair and bake sale, where a local organization was handing out hot dogs and sausages in return for a voluntary donation. Imagine that, a holiday celebration that hasn’t been turned into a commercial money maker!
Before too long, the entire town gathered at the waterfront to take in the Christmas fireworks, a perfect capstone to a magical evening. Toes cold, heart warmed, it was a short walk back to my stunning waterfront view room at Albert’s Inn.
Just as Nova Scotia is not a one-season destination, Christmas in Nova Scotia is not a one-stop celebration. This Maritime province is a popular summer destination for beachgoers, road trippers, and cruise passengers, but it is also surprisingly festive for the holidays.
From mailing a letter from the town of Christmas Island to exploring the “Christmas Tree Capital of the World” in Lunenburg, there are plenty of ways to celebrate in Nova Scotia.
7 Ways to Celebrate Christmas in Nova Scotia
Editor’s note: This post was written in partnership with Tourism Nova Scotia. My trip was hosted by the Tourism board and I was compensated for content creation but all opinions are my own.
Halifax Evergreen Festival
Halifax sparkles with holiday lights that line the Evergreen Bright Trail, which wraps its way along the waterfront. Start your visit with a scenic stroll through the peaceful Public Gardens and do some holiday shopping along Spring Garden Road. If you get chilly, warm up at the Halifax Central Library or one of the many stops along the Evergreen Cocoa Trail.
Along the waterfront, you will find some of Halifax’s top attractions, including Pier 21, the Canadian Museum of Immigration, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia featuring the folk art of Nova Scotian artist Maud Lewis, and the family-friendly Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which has a fascinating shipwreck exhibit including fragments from the Titanic.
When you get hungry, this area is also dotted with restaurants and bars, many of which are part of the Nova Scotia Lobster or Chowder Trails, such as The Cable Wharf, Drift, and Waterfront Warehouse. Or, you can grab a sweet treat at COWS Ice Cream or Peace by Chocolate, a premium chocolate company started by Syrian refugees.
For a truly unique gift, book a perfume-making session at the 7 Virtues Atelier. This clean perfume company sells its products through Sephora in 19 countries, but Halifax is currently the only Atelier location where you can create a custom blend. Founded by Nova Scotian Barb Stegemann with the initial goal of providing a path out of opium and into orange blossom oil for Afghan farmers, the company stands by its social justice roots with a focus on empowering girls and women by ending period poverty.
When the sun goes down, the city starts to twinkle with the lights of the Evergreen Festival. This four-week-long holiday celebration includes a small Christmas Market featuring local makers, a stage for live entertainment on select nights, a winter sports zone, and cozy spots for cocktails, like the Merry & Bright Patio at the Marriott Halifax Harbourfront Hotel.
Snuggle up under the lights at the fire pits in the Evergreen Market and toast marshmallows for s’mores while sipping hot cocoa (or something stronger!) Or, try your hand at mini-curling, heat up in a waterfront sauna, or find your way out of the dockside light maze. There is something for everyone to enjoy.
Where to Stay: The Marriott Halifax Harbourfront Hotel has a perfect location for exploring the waterfront and spacious rooms with beautiful views.
Glow Halifax at Glow Gardens
If you are visiting Halifax with kids, you can’t miss Glow Halifax. But before you wander through the million lights, make a stop at the Mic Mac Mall to pay a visit to Woody the Talking Christmas Tree. Every year between mid-November and December 23rd, Woody wakes up for Santa’s grand arrival and shoppers young and old line up for a quick chat. Woody is such a local legend that there is even a shop upstairs for Woody souvenirs.
As the sun sets, it is time to head over to the Halifax Exhibition Centre for the magical lights experiences at Glow Halifax. There are photo opportunities galore with a maze of brightly lit giant ornaments, light tunnels, magical trees, and winter characters. Little kids will delight in holiday play with inflatables, arcade games, mini golf, a Santa train, roller skating, and even a giant swing ride.
Live music for adults or children, food stalls, and mini-bars serving up local beers and spirits are scattered throughout the exhibit space. This year, youngsters will enjoy searching for Santa’s elves with a new “Jolly Jumble” theme.
New Ross “Christmas Tree Capital of the World”
New Ross is known as the Christmas Tree Capital of the World, with local tree farms shipping its desirable Nova Scotia Balsam Fir trees as far away as Europe and California. Nova Scotia even sends a Christmas tree to Boston every year as a thank you for the help the city provided after the devastating Halifax Explosion in 1917.
On the first weekend in December, the New Ross Christmas Festival gathers hundreds of people for a community supper, followed by a Christmas Tree lighting. The weekend is filled with craft fairs, home-cooked meals, caroling, Christmas tree u-picks, children’s fun, and magical entertainment with singing and dancing.
A highlight is hiking up Ruby’s Trail through the evergreens to enjoy expansive views of the village and rolling hills beyond. Even better, you can find Twig’s Chalet. “Twig” is a charming elf clad in Nova Scotian tartan who came to life when an errant pinecone fell off Santa’s sleigh and landed in Nova Scotia. During the holiday season, you can find Twig in his woodland cottage, watching over all the Balsam Fir Christmas trees in Nova Scotia.
While you are in town, make a stop at the Ross Farm Museum, a living museum of agriculture that remains largely the same as it was in the 1800s. It offers daily activities like wool spinning, candle making, and ox shoeing, and you can chat with costumed interpreters, hike the scenic trail, take a wagon ride, meet the animals, or even enjoy a winter sleigh ride.
The Season of Father Christmas, Mahone Bay
The walkable, waterfront town of Mahone Bay is charming year-round, but the festive Christmas displays and holiday lights make it extra special — particularly the homemade gnome decorations (My Gnome Bay – Mahone Bay, get it?) The Father Christmas Festival takes place from late November through Christmas Eve and includes everything from church luncheons to family-friendly activities.
On the evening I visited, Kedy’s Landing was serving up hot cider, cookies, and s’mores by the fire pits, while some of the community gathered at St. James Parish Hall for Ye Olde Christmas Market & Celebration, with handmade crafts, live music, and baked goods. Later on, there was music and more at St. John’s Church, with a bell choir and swing band.
Other festival activities include a community tree lighting, holiday markets, story times, a toy boat brigade, concerts, a fun run, a Christmas cookie walk, a teddy bear parade, photos with Santa, and more.
Mahone Bay also has plenty of cute shops for your holiday shopping needs, such as the Teazer Gift Shop, Tea Brewery, Suttles and Seawards, and Amos Pewter, where you can watch the artisans in action at the open studio. There are plenty of drink and dining options too from the Saltbox Brewery to Mateus Bistro (delicious pork belly tacos btw) or Betty’s at The Kitch.
Where to Stay: Kitch’Inn is a small bed and breakfast within walking distance to downtown with spacious and stylish rooms.
Lunenburg Christmas Craft Festival
Lunenburg is a picture-postcard Nova Scotian town with colorful buildings and former mansions with fascinating architecture from Gothic towers to elegant verandas. Old Town Lunenburg is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a history that dates back to 1753 that dabbles in rum running and shipbuilding. With shops and restaurants, breweries, and distilleries, Lunenburg is a tourist’s dream.
At the waterfront, you can see Nova Scotia’s famous racing schooner, Bluenose II (which is also featured on the Canadian 10-cent piece.) It is also where you will find a towering lobster trap Christmas tree during the holidays.
For the holidays, Lunenburg also hosts the largest Christmas Craft Festival I’ve ever experienced. During the first weekend in December, hundreds of Nova Scotian Artisans and Crafters gather at the Lunenburg Christmas Craft Festival, which takes place across the Lunenburg Community Centre, Curling Club, and Bluenose Academy. A $5.00 fee gains you admission to all three and a $5.00 voucher that is accepted by many vendors.
You will find handcrafted pottery, woodcarvings, glass, sculptures, wreaths, and more, along with food vendors offering fudge, preserves, dips, and baked goods, plus a variety of local wines, spirits, liqueurs, and ciders to put you in the Holiday spirit.
Driving into town in the morning, I saw groups of people walking in the same direction. I thought to myself, all of these people couldn’t possibly be going to the craft fair, and I continued on to find closer parking. Sure enough, the parking lots were full and I soon was one of those people parking further away and walking through the cold to the craft fair hall bursting with people.
This is a town that you will want to spend time in…at any time of year. In the summer you can also visit the nearby fishing village of Blue Rocks, with its lighthouse, blue slate rocks, and working fishing vessels.
Miracle on Dock Street, Shelburne
As I described above, Miracle on Dock Street is a sweet holiday festival that is just dripping with small-town charm. Plan a visit during this weekend event and enjoy the stationary floats of the walk-through parade, shop at the craft vendors at the Shelburne Guild Hall Market, roast marshmallows over the fire pits dotting the streets, and stop for hot chocolate, warm chowder, or even oysters (this is Nova Scotia after all). Kids can visit Santa at the Dory Shop, watch an outdoor Christmas movie, or walk through Who-ville in Atlantic House Park.
Snap a family photo in front of the wood barrel tree outside of the Shelburne Barrel Factory and then gather on the waterfront to watch the fireworks that close out the night.
In the morning, you can explore the fascinating history of this Loyalist stronghold, which became a boomtown during the American Revolution when Loyalists decamped New York City and landed in Shelburne. Nearby, you can drive out to see the Sandy Point Lighthouse, which sits on a sand bar at the entrance of Shelburne Harbour and at low tide, you can enjoy the sandy beach and walk out to the lighthouse.
It is also less than a 30-minute drive to Barrington, which is the Lobster Capital of Canada, and a perfect spot for fresh seafood. I’m a purist when it comes to lobster and like mine fresh, steamed, and dipped in butter. Often other preparations taste fishy to me. But not at Captain Kat’s Lobster Shack. You can also meet Lucy the Lobster, the local weather prognosticator, but since it was raining when I visited, I was more interested in eating the lobster than meeting one.
To fight off the cold, I started with lobster chowder, with fresh chunks of tasty lobster and not a trace of fishiness. I was tempted by a full lobster dinner but that was more than my wallet or stomach could handle, so I tried the lobster grilled cheese with low expectations that were blown out of the water. Once again the lobster was fresh and juicy, the bread crisply toasted with perfectly melted cheese and even a lobster butter sauce for dipping.
On a good day, you can stroll the nearby white sand beaches, experience one of the best birding destinations in Eastern Canada, and check out the area’s best lighthouses. During the holidays, you can also check out the lobster buoy trees at the Northeast Point Beach Gazebo or the Dennis Point Wharf.
Where to Stay: Albert’s Inn has a fabulous waterfront location right in downtown Shelburne with personal service and stunning rooms. My harbourview king suite was immense, more like a loft apartment with a living room, dining table, kitchen, whirlpool tub, walk-in closet, and wrap-around water-view windows.
Winter Glamping, White Point Beach Resort
For a unique way to celebrate the holidays or ring in the New Year, why not try winter glamping? Sound cold? It’s not. White Point Beach Resort is perched on the coast, with a stunning stretch of beach. This full-service resort has been welcoming guests for over 90 years and offers lodge rooms, cabins, vacation homes, and luxury glamping domes (or glomes).
The glomes offer privacy, where you can fall asleep to the sound of water and wake to stunning sunrises, yet you have the amenities of a resort, including a full calendar of activities, just a short walk or drive away. The Glomes feature a king bed, gas fireplace, heating (and air conditioning in the summer), kitchenette, and a full bathroom. Each Glome has a private deck with a grill, hot tub, and Adirondack chairs facing the water.
I’ve stayed in many glamping resorts, including a dome in New Brunswick, and this was my coziest stay ever, despite the cold and rainy weather outside.
This visit to Nova Scotia for Christmas confirmed two things in my mind: 1) Canadians just know how to do winter the best, and 2) holiday travel can rekindle Christmas joy.
Visiting Atlantic Canada? You may also be interested in:
- Planning a New Brunswick road trip
- Stops along the Fundy Trail Parkway in New Brunswick
- Tips for visiting Hopewell Rocks
- Planning an Anne of Green Gables mother-daughter trip to PEI
- 3 Days in Prince Edward Island
Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW, NATJA, IFWTWA, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.
