Welcome to another weekend full of fun holiday events and craft fairs. There is a ton going on, so don’t miss out on your chance to take in some of the sights, including the holiday light up display on Parliament every evening. Here is your list of weekend family events for December 8-9 in and around Ottawa. 

Saturday:

• Breakfast with Santa – Stittsville Legion Branch 618, 8:00 -11:00 am (pancakes, tea, coffee and juice. Photo opportunities with Santa himself, just bring your own camera. No admission but bring a donation for the Stittsville Food Bank.)
• Fairfields Kidsmas – Fairfields Heritage House, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (registration not required, drop-in, do a holiday craft and enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, dress warmly, Christmas goodies and hot chocolate served)
• Ottawa Farmer’s Market Christmas Market – Aberdeen Pavilion, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (dozens of vendors, horse drawn carriage rides around Lansdowne, live music)
• Gingerbread House Building – Rideauview Community Centre, 9:30 am – 11:00 am (for kids ages 3 to 5 years old, parents and children build and decorate a house, the event costs $38.25)
• Barrhaven Winter Wonderland – Minto Recreation Complex, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (pictures with Santa, crafts, games and cookie decorating, admission is free)
• Beechwood Market: Xmas Edition – 35 Beechwood Ave, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm (over 30 vendors, LIVE music and breakfast & lunch options.)
• Woodroffe Christmas Craft Fair – Woodroffe Avenue Public School, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (over 50 vendors and plenty of tasty treats)
• A Gym Tale Christmas Party – A Gym Tale, 3777 Strandherd, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm ($30 a child, photo with Santa, a gift for each child, playtime on pirate ship and castle, food provided for children)
• Christmas Crafts for Kids – Carleton Place Hockey Arena, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (christmas crafts for all kids followed by a free public skate)
• Kids Christmas Downtown – Old Town Kemptville, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm (free horse drawn carriage rides, complimentary s’mores, spot the elf scavenger hunt)
• Christmas Choirs and Wagon Rides – Byward Market, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (head to William Square for free wagon rides around the market, catch Christmas choirs singing on the plaza all afternoon)
• Pakenham Annual Christmas Parade – Stewart Community Centre, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ( Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available to visit with kids in the upper hall shortly after the parade returns. There will be free public skating, as well as free hot chocolate and hotdogs)
• Carp Christmas Parade – Carp Rd, 12:00 pm (pictures with Santa following the parade)
• How the Grinch Spied Christmas – Diefenbunker Museum, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (program included with museum admission, enjoy a Grinch-themed scavenger hunt all around the Bunker. Put your problem solving skills to the test with Grinchy coding activities and crafts.)
• Wakefield Christmas Market – Centre Wakefield La Peche, 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm (over 70 vendors, live music, bonfires, mulled wine and lots of holiday cheer)
• Mayor’s Christmas Celebration – Ottawa City Hall, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Roasted marshmallows and singing Christmas songs around a campfire, skating on the Rink of Dreams, horse-drawn wagon rides and delicious treats. Santa and Mrs. Claus will even be visiting, no admission but donations to the food bank are encouraged)
• The Star – Ottawa Family Cinema, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (lovely Christmas story about the Nativity through the eyes of the animals)
• Stanley’s Christmas Village – Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm, 2:00 pm (buy tickets online, horse drawn carriage to Santa’s village, meet the elves, enjoy hot chocolate and a treat)
• Holiday Traditions Around the World – National Arts Centre, 2:30 pm (get into the holiday spirit on a trip fueled by traditional music from around the world)
• Vintage Village of Lights – Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm (illuminated from 5 pm to 8pm, stroll the village, take a wagon ride, decorate a gingerbread man, meet Santa) 
• Richmond Santa Claus Parade – Richmond, 5:30 pm 
• Smiths Falls Santa Claus Parade – Smiths Falls, 5:00 pm 
• Alight at Night – Upper Canada Village, 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm (gorgeous holiday display with thousands of lights decorating the heritage village, Santvisits, carollers and carousel)
• Magic of Lights – Wesley Clover Parks, 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm (2 km drive thru light display, buy your tickets online, $20 a car)

Sunday:

• Ottawa Farmer’s Market Christmas Market – Aberdeen Pavilion, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (see above)
• How the Grinch Spied Christmas – Diefenbunker Museum, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (see above)
• Breakfast with Santa – Old Firehall Community Centre, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm (Free pancake breakfast for the first 150 people! Face painting, crafts, cookie decorating with Yummy Cookies, games. Admission is FREE we only ask you to bring a monetary or food donation for the Ottawa Food Bank.)
• 2018 Santa Brunch – Clocktower Brew Pub the Glebe, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (come for breakfast and get a free photo with Santa)
• Christmas Choirs and Wagon Rides – Byward Market, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (see above)
• Holidays at the Parks 2018 – Wesley Clover Parks, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (vendor’s row, kids craft station, horse-drawn wagon rides, opportunity to meet Zack the donkey, and more, admission by donation)
• Metcalfe Santa Claus Parade – Metcalfe, 2:00 pm (Santa Claus parade and food drive starts at 2pm, floats line up outside the Christian School on Glen St, followed by treats and photos with Santa and Mrs Claus in the Community Centre.)
• Stanley’s Christmas Village – Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm, 2:00 pm (see above)
• Holiday Traditions Around the World – National Arts Centre, 2:30 pm (see above)
• Vintage Village of Lights – Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm (see above)
• Almonte Christmas Night Parade – Mississippi Mills, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (The Parade leaves the Almonte Community Centre at 5PM, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available to visit with kids in the upper hall shortly after the parade returns. There will be free public skating, as well as free hot chocolate and hotdogs)
• Alight at Night – Upper Canada Village, 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm (see above)
• Magic of Lights – Wesley Clover Parks, 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm (see above)

Don’t forget that skating in Ottawa begins with the Sens Rink of Dreams in front of City Hall (open and free all day), also the Skating Rink at Rideau Hall has public skating open on weekends, and the Lansdowne Park Skating Rink is also open to skating. And, when the sun sets the Christmas Lights Across Canada program continues with a magical light show onto Centre Block on Parliament Hill.