Kamloops and Sun Peaks Family Friendly Holiday Events for 2016

The Holiday Season is upon us, and the City of Kamloops has many different events going on in the upcoming months to help you get into the Holiday Spirit. Many events are free or ask for donations to help out local charities. We have compiled calendars of these events to make it easy for you and your family. These events will give you a great sense of the community, and will allow you to see different areas of town you may not be as familiar with. This is a great time to get out into the community and enjoy some family time!

Click here for the summary calendar

November to December 24 : Almost Christmas
Get some of your Holiday shopping done and support local artists at the Old Courthouse Gallery/Giftshop. Plenty of fine art and crafts including: weaving, paintings, pottery, stained and fused glasswork, photography, textiles, baskets, jewellery, First Nations Art, and so much more. They are again having “Tiny Tidings” this year featuring small original works of art great for stocking stuffers or appreciation gifts. There is free parking and it is handicap accessible. Open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Click here for more info.
November 24 to December 6: Mama Mia!
Mamma Mia! is an enchanting tale of love, laughter, and friendship all told through the legendary music of ABBA. Catch the show November 24 to December 6. Click here for more info.
November 24 : Lights In The Night
Lights in the Night is the official kick off party in Downtown Kamloops! There is so much to get you into the holiday cheer and see the business of Downtown Kamloops battle it out for best holiday window display. This event starts at 3:30 pm with a Lantern Workshop and ends at 7pm with the Christmas Tree at St. Andrew’s Square being lit! Click here for more info.
November 26 to 27 : 15th Annual Homes for the Holidays
Need some inspiration for decorating for this holiday season, tour five homes decorated by Kamloops’ signature designers. This event supports the United Way as well. Your ticket ($40.00/person) includes all fives homes as well as a glass of Monte Creek Wine and a small plate of appetizers. Click here for more info.
October 29 to April 29 : Kamloops Artisan Winter Market
Kamloops Artisan Winter Market is held every Saturday between 10:00am to 2:00pm in the Sahali Mall in Suite #50. Having trouble buying someone a gift? Why not come and see what some local artist have for you or take part in one of the art classes and create a one of a kind handmade gift from you. Click here for more info.
November 26 : Santa Clause Parade
This year’s parade theme is Happy Holidays Around the World. The parade starts at 11:00 am but you can Wake-Up Santa at 10:30am, and if you are going early to get a spot up front (recommended) there will be pre-parade entertainment starting at 10:15am along the Parade route for the kids. The start of the Parade is at 2nd and St. Paul St. travelling north on 2nd and east on Victoria until 6th Ave. It is encouraged if possible to take public transit or carpool, but if you are going to park downtown, the parkades are free of charge, but the private off the street lots (ex. Lansdowne Village) are not free during the event. This is always a fun event for the whole family, see all the different floats from different organizations, and see Santa! Click here for more info.
November 26 to December 22: Pick Your Tree
Woodward Christmas Tree Farm is Open November 26 to December 22, it will be open 7 days a week 10:00am-4:00pm during this time. During the weekends the farm is the place to be! There are hay rides to take you to and from the Christmas Tree Patch, Bon Fire, concession stand, Sing-a-longs and Mulled Wine. There are several varieties of Trees to choose from, prices are a flat price depending on the type of tree you choose. Prices range from $41.90-$59.99 and you don’t need to bring a saw as they have plenty.  Only Cash and Debit are available. Click here for more info.
December 3 and 4: Christmas at the Courthouse
Come enjoy food, music all while shopping for gifts or treasures for yourself at the Old Courthouse. There will be many items created by local artists and artisans. Click here for more info.
December 3 and December 17: Countdown to Christmas & Countdown to Christmas the Sequel
St. Andrews Square is hosting Countdown to Christmas and The Sequel. All gifts are $20 or under which is perfect for those parties you need to bring a gift to but don’t know what to bring other than the clichéd ideas. The Sequel will have different vendors as the first so you can go to both and stock up on gifts for those visitors that just show up around the holidays. Click here and here for more info.

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Every Monday, Friday and Saturday December 10 to April 8 Starting at 6:00pm : Sun Peaks Moonlight Snowshoe & S’mores Tour
This is an experience for the whole Family (ages 8+). Start with an easy 1km snowshoe tour and guided trek through the forest trails. Take a break and warm up by a fire with some hot apple cider and specials S’mores. On the way, back the journey offers views overlooking the village and its sparkling lights. Snowshoe equipment and trail pass are included in ticket price, reservations are required. Great way to learn about the history and landscape of Sun Peaks! Click here for more info.
December 5: High Five Day
Annual Tradition of Toonie Day has been revamped to High Five Day, still the same premise of Toonie Day but looking to bump up the donations to the Food Bank this year. Bring in a $5 and a non-perishable food item and get your Nordic or Alpine Lift Tickets. Come out and enjoy the slopes and not feel guilty for it, you’re giving back to the community! Click here for more info.
December 7: Toys for Kids Breakfast
Tis the Season to Give, and why not do it and get a great buffet breakfast as well. Join The River 97.5 at Hotel 540 for breakfast, all you need to do is bring in one new unwrapped toy or a minimum donation of $10. In a hurry that morning, don’t worry there will even be a “Drive-Thru” breakfast available. Uncle Chris will be there along with Princess Parties, entertainment for all ages. Click here for more info.
December 9 to January 2: Wildlights
This is the 19th Annual Wildlights at the BC Wildlife Park. Everyone will enjoy the 380 sculptures and the over 600,000 twinkling lights around the park along with the many animals that are still out to view. There are plenty of other exciting things to do at the park as well. They have a The Wildlife Express Minatare Train, that takes you on a tour of the park and gives you a great view of all the light displays. There is an awesome Laser Show set to some great holiday classics to help get you in the Holiday spirit. The Holiday Maze is a great way to get the kids to burn off some of that extra energy. Uncle Chris the Clown will be there most nights with some exceptions. The Home Hardware Family Farm is a great place to warm up and let the kids get some interaction with some animals.  Santa takes a break from his workshop to come visit the Park and check up on the animals. Click here for more info.
December 9 to 11 and 17 to 19: Kamloops Heritage Railway Presents: The Spirit of Christmas
Ride the Rails with the Spirit of Christmas rail tour and allow the sights and sounds of the Holiday season fill you with joy! This is a one hour ride through the gorgeous wintery backdrop of Kamloops, and it captures the magic of the old-fashioned Christmas we see in the movies. Enjoy a cup of Hot Chocolate and a cookie provided by Kamloops Tim Hortons. See Christmas lights, listen to traditional Carols, build unforgettable memories with your family and get into the Holiday Spirit on the Train.  Click here for more info.
December 10 and 11: Christmas with the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra
Come listen to some Holiday favourites and a narrated musical version of The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier. The story exemplifies the nation’s passion for hockey; everyone knows someone in their life that is a die-hard fan of one team and understands what it means to have a rival team.  Click here for more info.
December 7 : Swim with Santa!
Want to see Santa in a way most people don’t get to see? Come swim with Santa at the Canada Games Pool (Tournament Capital Centre) between 1:00pm-4:00pm. Make sure Santa knows how good you have been all year long. Click here for more info.
Every Monday, December 12 to March 20 starting at 4:30pm: Kids Scavenger Hunt at the Sundance Kids Centre @ Sun Peaks
After a day on the slopes as a family why not drop the kids off for some fun so you can take a nice soak in the hot tub and relax the muscles for a bit in piece and quiet. Drop the kids off at the Sundance Kids Center so they can go on and exciting scavenger hunt with the staff of the center. Click here for more info.
December 13: Choral Rhapsody
Come enjoy a night of Christmas Carolling, without having to go outside! There will be seven choirs in attendance, six are local. They will perform an amazing selection of carols and there will even be sing-a-longs for those that want to join in the fun. Before the event you can come down and listen to some music played by the Kamloops Symphony Junior String Orchestra and Stringendo. This is a free event at the Sagebrush theater but will gratefully accept food or cash donations to the Kamloops Food Bank. You can also reserve a seat; this is always a full house so make sure you get your tickets early! Click here for more info.
Every Tuesday, December 13 to March 21 : Family Fun Night at the Sun Peaks Skating Rink
This is weekly event at the Rink in Sun Peaks! They have different activities every week, so you can attend every week and do something different. It addition there will be music, games and Harry Bear.  There will be a bonfire and hot chocolate to warm you up after skating. There are skate rentals, and please confirm the rink will be open as weather conditions may cause cancellation. Click here for more info.
Every Wednesday, December 14 to March 21 : Kids Craft Night at the Sundance Kids Centre @ Sun Peaks
This event runs weekly at the Sundance Kid Centre in Sun Peaks.  It’s great for is you have kids that are tired of hitting the slopes but you want to get a few more runs in. Drop them off at the Sundance Centre to create some awesome crafts and art. Click here for more info.
December 15: CP Holiday Train
CP Holiday Train is a great way to come enjoy support the community and see the Train all decked out in Christmas lights and hear some great music. The train stops in Chase, Kamloops, Savona and Ashcroft, so you have many chances to see the train. If you can please bring a healthy, nutritious food item to the show, the show itself is free to attend, any food collected in each community stays with that community. Click here for more info.
Every Friday, December 16 to March 24: Movie & Popcorn Night – Sundance Kids Centre @ Sun Peaks
Now kids can wrap up an exciting day on the mountain with an evening of movies and popcorn at the Sundance Kids Centre. Click here for more info.
December 16 to 18: Spectacular Holiday Kick-Off @ Sun Peaks
Sun Peaks has decided that this is the weekend to Kick off the Holidays! There are so many wonderful events going on this weekend, after this there is no way your whole family couldn’t be in the Holiday spirit. There is everything from an Artisan Market to Ice Carving Demo to Stories with Elsa. Santa will be stopping by on his sled for a quick visit with some of his elves during this busy season, so make sure you stop and get a picture before they head back to the North Pole! Click here for more info.
December 22: Skating with Santa @ Sun Peaks
Santa Clause is making sure he is able to spend as much time with you as possible before he has to go do his deliveries. Come enjoy games, music, a bonfire and some delicious hot chocolate and skate with Santa Clause! Click here for more info.

Click here for the summary calendar

December 23: Skiing with Santa
Who knew Santa likes to ski! As much as he enjoys it, he is just too busy to do it that often so he will be sticking to the 5 Mile, which is a beginner run. Time is running out before Santa’s busiest day so he unfortunately won’t have much time to shred, but he can fit a few runs in, so come join Santa for some unforgettable fun! Click here for more info.
December 23 to 24: Caroling with Nancy Greene
Join Nancy Greene for some Christmas Carols at Sun Peaks Resort. This is a great way to get the whole family in the holiday spirit. Click here for more info.
December 24: Breakfast with Santa @ Sun Peaks
Tonight is the BIG night for Santa, and he needs to eat a good breakfast so that he has the energy to deliver the gifts to all the children on the Good List. Come join Santa for his favourite an old fashioned pancake breakfast and make sure he knows just how good you where this year, so you don’t end up with coal in your stocking.  Click here for more info.
December 24: The Night Before Christmas Reading with Santa @ Sun Peaks
Who doesn’t love the Christmas Classic The Night Before Christmas. Come hear it be read by the big guy himself Santa! Enjoy some hot chocolate and wish Santa good luck on his trip. Click here for more info.
December 31 to January 1: New Year’s Eve Celebrations @ Sun Peaks Resort
You don’t want to miss this, it’s the biggest night of the Year in Sun Peaks! There are so many great events for everyone to enjoy. The festivities kick off with the First Flight Big Air Invitational, than the kids can participate in the Glowstick Parade. Those over 14 can participate in the famous Torchlight Parade where you can watch skiers and boarders descend the Sundance ski run with lit torches.  Than it’s the finale with an incredible Fireworks show. Don’t forget to check out all the special New Years Dinners, after parties and other activities. Click here for more info.
December 31 to January 1: New Year’s Eve @Harper Mountain
Come out to Harper Mountain to enjoy some Night Skiing and Fireworks. If you are someone who would rather not be on the hill, don’t worry you can enjoy the fire with some beverages and food in the Lodge while the rest of your group is on the hill. Snow Tube Town is open but unfortunately both night tubing times are fully booked, but there is still plenty of fun to have. Click here for more info.
December 31 to January 1: New Year’s Eve Professional Bull Riding and Dave @ the North Thompson Agriplex
Love country music come ring in the new year at the Professional Bull Riding and Dance at the North Thompson Agriplex. The whole family can attend the Bullarama, with bull riders from Canada, US and Mexico. The kids will have to watched by a babysitter for the dance afterwards however as it is a 19+ event only. There are food vendors and beer gardens on site. Make sure you get your tickets early as this event always sells out. Click here for more info.

Click here for the summary calendar