Check these off your Christmas List: Holiday events in Waterloo Region
Christmas is in full swing in Waterloo Region with plenty of events to get you in the holiday spirit.
Here are a few of those activities that are sure to make you feel merry and bright!
GIFT OF LIGHTS
This holiday drive-thru at Bingemans will feature two light tunnels and more than 300 animated and static light displays.
The event opened daily on Nov. 26. The following days will be open for walk-through visitors only: Dec. 13, and Jan. 2. Gift of Lights closes Jan. 9.
More information here: Gift of Lights
SANTA’S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE
Santa’s schedule is set for his upcoming trips on the Waterloo Central Railway.
The Christmas trains will take kids of all ages from the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market Station on Farmers Market Drive to the North Pole. In addition to music, contests and plays, the Big Man in Red will be on board for the one-hour trip.
Travelers are encouraged to wear their Christmas best or pajamas, and don’t forget to bring along your letters!
The trains depart Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Santa will also be there for nighttime trips called the “Christmas Lights Experience,” with 15,000 twinkling lights decorating the train. Those rides depart on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
More information here: Waterloo Central Railway
CHRISTKINDL MARKET
This year marks the 25th anniversary of this beloved German-themed tradition, but this year they’re doing something a little different.
The Christkindl Market is set up in downtown Kitchener from Dec. 2 to Dec. 5.
In addition to the in-person event, there will also be an online marketplace with gifts and a digital advent calendar.
For more information go to: Christkindl Market
CAMBRIDGE CELEBRATES WINTERFEST
Winterfest is back in Cambridge from Nov. 22 to Jan. 2, with three main events: Cambridge Christmas Market, Winter Illumination and the New Year’s Eve Skate.
More information can be found here: Cambridge Celebrates Winterfest
OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS AT SNYDER’S FARM
Snyder’s Family Farm, just outside of Kitchener, is hosting weekend events for the family. There will be a Farm Christmas Bakery, gift barn and visits from Santa, as well as campfire pods where you can roast s’mores and other menu items.
They will also be selling trees from their farm.
More information here: Snyder's Family Farm
CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE
Take a trip back in time, celebrating a Victorian Christmas at Castle Kilbride in Baden.
The holiday event will continue all month until Jan. 2.
More information here: Castle Kilbride
CHRISTMAS ON STAGE
Drayton Entertainment has a special show at the Hamilton Family Theatre in Cambridge.
“Back Home for the Holidays”, running from Dec. 1 to Dec. 26, will inspire holiday cheer.
More information here: Back Home for the Holidays
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.