5 Free Winter Activities to do in Edmonton
By Danielle McClements on November 2, 2023
Winter is here (even though there’s no snow…yet) and it’s time to pull out the list of fun activities to do around Edmonton. Put on your Santa suit and get ready for some great free adventures you can go on this winter!
1. Go Skating ⛸️
In Edmonton, there are plenty of places you can lace up your skates and hit the ice for free. It’s a great time to check out the new rink in the centre of ICE District, which opened around this time last year. It’s very aesthetically pleasing if you’re looking for a place to snag some cute pictures for the ‘Gram. Surrounded by tall buildings, the Canadian Icehouse, and Roger’s Place, it’s a good place to start your adventure. You can branch off and grab a drink at the Icehouse when your feet get tired, or walk a few minutes to one of many restaurants and bars downtown.
If ICE District isn’t your speed, there are countless other places to skate for free. Try the community rink in Parkallen, Victoria Park, Rundle Park, or even stop by City Hall and check out their ODR.
Nothing better than getting your skate on!
2. Check out the Lights 🎄
The BEST place to see lights in Edmonton is without a doubt Candy Cane Lane. Every year, this one neighbourhood in Crestwood lights up the entire street with amazing holiday decorations that’ll knock your socks off. I’ve been once in my life and it was such a slay. It felt like I was quite literally walking in a winter wonderland.
Here’s a pic of my buddies and I at Candy Cane Lane in 2017. This photo does not even begin to capture how magical Candy Cane Lane is.
If you don’t want to go to Candy Cane Lane, Edmonton is great because there are tons of people who love to decorate their houses during the winter. So hop in your car, or even just take a stroll down your street, and you’ll be sure to see some great lights!
3. Go Tobogganing 🛷
There’s nothing more fun than sliding down a giant hill on a sled, fearing for your life and feeling your eyelashes freeze together. This is your sign to go for a toboggan ride this winter. There are tons of hills in Edmonton that you can go for a ride on once the snow comes in. Check out the City of Edmonton’s list of toboggan hills and their tips on how to safely sled.
One of my fondest childhood memories is centred around this fun winter activity. My family and I went to my great aunt and uncle’s cabin in the countryside where their driveway is a downhill slope for what feels like 5 kilometers. The way down is a blast, and the way up burns all the hot chocolate calories off.
4. Visit a Free Festival ☃️
Edmonton is a festival city at heart and the winter is no exception. You can check out Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival in January. On the 20th and 21st of the first month of 2024 you can step into a beautiful enchanted forest and discover some incredible ice sculptures. The festival celebrates Ukrainian, Francophone, Franco African, Indigenous, Latin American, and Asian cultures, so you can learn a lot about new culture while also taking in some awesome scenery.
It’s like all the joys of winter bundled up into one festival!
5. Put Your Mittens to Work 🧤
One of the defining characteristics of wintertime is snow…so why not make the most of it?
Have a snowball fight, build a snowman or a snow fort, make snow angels…the list goes on! You’re never too old to have fun in the snow. Put your snow suit on and get out there! Some of my best childhood memories were formed from the snowball fights that my brother and I used to have nearly every day after school. We would give ourselves a few minutes to make a fort on either end of our back deck, make a few snowballs, then go to town.
A snowball fight almost always ends with someone getting a ball of ice to the face and then crying, but the lead up to that part is worth it.
It’s time to get out there and make the most of the winter! Edmonton offers so many great things to try this winter, and the 5 I outlined for you are just the tip of the iceberg! Get out there and have fun!
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All images within this blog belong to me, Danielle McClements.