Start on Parliament Hill, then follow the lights across the river
By late afternoon on December 26 the light is already going, and the stone of Parliament Hill holds a blue-grey cold that you feel through your boots. This is the heart of Winter Lights Across Canada, the free program that strings lights across Parliament Hill, the national museums, the embassies and sites on both sides of the Ottawa River in Ottawa and Gatineau. The illumination runs through the season; the 2026 switch-on date had not been posted when event listings were last checked, so treat the lights as a constant of the season rather than a single night to chase. Walk the Hill, cross into Gatineau, and let the lit facades pull you from one site to the next after dark.
Drive through a field of light at Wesley Clover Parks
Magic of Lights takes over the campground at Wesley Clover Parks (411 Corkstown Road) and runs nightly to January 2, 2027 — Boxing Day included. It is a drive-through display, so you stay in the car with the heat on while the light tunnels and figures pass the windows. Hours are 5:30–9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 5:30–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Pricing is per vehicle: an online any-day ticket is $37.99, Monday–Thursday admission is $35, and a season pass is $97.99. Book online before you go; a holiday Saturday is not the night to arrive without a ticket.
Take the drive to Upper Canada Village after dark
Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg (13740 County Road 2) is open select nights from 5 to 9 p.m., including December 26 through January 2, and closed December 24–25. The heritage village is lit for the season, and the evening slot means you arrive after dark and walk the site by lamplight. Admission is $18 for adults 25–64, $17 for seniors, $16 for students 13–17, $15 for youth 5–12, plus HST, with under-fives free. Tickets are sold online in advance. It is a drive out of the city, so pair it with a clear-weather forecast — average December highs sit near −1.5°C and lows near −8.7°C, with roughly 43 cm of snow across the month.
Spend the evening at the National Arts Centre
The NAC keeps the season going on stage. The Vinyl Cafe Christmas Musical runs in the Babs Asper Theatre from December 14 to 30, with tickets from $33 — a Boxing Day evening option if you want a warm seat and a story. From December 29 to January 3, Broadway Across Canada presents The Sound of Music in Southam Hall. Check the NAC schedule for exact showtimes on December 26 and build your day around the curtain.
Know what is open — and where the market goes quiet
Boxing Day, December 26, 2026, falls on a Saturday and is a public holiday in Ontario, as is Christmas Day on Friday the 25th, so expect holiday hours almost everywhere. The Ottawa Christmas Market at Lansdowne holds its regular weekend markets only until December 20; after that it reopens solely for a New Year's Eve party on December 31 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Plan your market browsing before the 20th and your Boxing Day around the lights, the drive-through displays and the stage rather than the stalls. The season around you is a busy one: Hanukkah runs from sundown December 4 to December 12, and Kwanzaa begins December 26 and runs to January 1.
Build the day backwards from dark: an afternoon on the Hill, a timed ticket for Magic of Lights or Alight at Night, and a theatre seat if the schedule suits. Confirm holiday hours and event times against venue and organizer listings before you travel — schedules shift — then book the tickets that need booking and leave the rest to the cold, clear evening.