Holiday Events in Ottawa
Haul out the holly, put up the lights and hang some tinsel on that evergreen bough’nothing brings us a little Christmas cheer faster than trimming a fragrant pine or fir tree.
A trip to the farm to pick out a tree is one of our favourite family traditions and the newest place in town to spend a cozy Yuletide afternoon is Ian’s Christmas Adventure Park & Tree Farm.
Our favourite part of this festive visit is the herd of eight living reindeer. (Bet you can’t guess their names!) Young kids will love frolicking in the hay barn and ‘driving’ the old van with a tree growing right through the middle. Older kids will want to skate on the outdoor lake or run through the challenging mazes. Once the snow falls, there are sledding hills, which start with gentle rolls for the wee ones and climb up to a thrillingly steep drop off for the most daring of visitors.
The most unique feature is that the grounds are lit at night’meaning you can cut down your tree after dinner without having to juggle a saw and a flashlight. As the night cools off, we love to grab a free hot chocolate and curl up by the fire or bring the kids inside to the toasty warm-up building for a snack and a visit with the jolly old elf himself.
Good to Know: Entrance to the park is $10 per person (free for kids under 3). Enjoy all the activities, then apply your entrance fee (up to a $40 max) towards your purchase of a tree.
We definitely have a new holiday tradition to add to our family’s celebration.
Tested by Lynn J., Ottawa
