Holidays in Durham Region, 2026: Santa parades, markets, lights and ways to give, by town

Hey hi hello, Durham,

Here, in the GTA, the holidays here don't happen in one place. They happen in fourteen Santa parades, a farm with lit-up tractors, a dozen church-hall bazaars, a drive-through with two million lights, and a lot of quiet donation barrels by the door of your local library.

This guide is all of it in one spot:

1. Parades first (because driving out to Toronto is not a vibe), then
2. My weekend game plans for stacking it all without driving across the region three times in one day, then
3. Everything else town by town, and finally
4. Ways to give back, because this time of year is about that, too.

Save it, share it in the family group chat, and come back to it. If I've missed your town's tree lighting or your church's craft sale, the gems form at the bottom is the fastest way to tell me.

Ho, ho, ho — let's have a hell of a season, cuties.

🎅 Every Santa Claus parade in Durham, 2026

Fourteen parades, eight towns, one very busy man in red. All dates and start times are from Durham Tourism's 2026 parade list, which has the full routes. Organizers can tweak routes or postpone for weather, so check the day of.

Sun, Nov 15

• 🎆 Newcastle (Clarington), 5:30pm — King Ave E. Its 20th anniversary, with fireworks and the town hall lighting at 5pm.

Sat, Nov 21

• 🎅 Bowmanville (Clarington), 10:30am — King St. Bring letters for Santa and a non-perishable for the Salvation Army.
• 🎅 Uxbridge, 11am — Brock St.
• ✨ Oshawa Parade of Lights, 6:30pm — from Division St, west along Bond St to Gibbons St. The big one, after dark.

Sat, Nov 28

• 🎅 Pickering, 10am — starts at Dixie Rd and Glenanna Rd.
• 🎅 Orono (Clarington), 10:30am — Main St, with hot chocolate at Orono Town Hall.
• 🎅 Cannington (Brock), 11am — Cameron St, then a visit with Santa at the fire hall.
• ✨ Beaverton (Brock), 6pm — a loop from the Beaverton Fairgrounds through town and back.
• ✨ Ajax, Santa's Spectacle of Lights, 6pm — Bayly St and Harwood Ave S to Ajax Town Hall, with a tree lighting and a community toy and food drive.

Wed, Dec 2

• 🚜 THEE Farmers' Parade of Lights (Clarington), 5:30pm — lit-up tractors and trucks rolling from north of Enniskillen through Haydon and Enfield to Tyrone. Bring a food-drive donation.

Sat, Dec 5

• 🎅 Whitby, 10am — Brock St N. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and letters.
• ✨ Port Perry (Scugog), 5pm — from the Scugog Fairgrounds, themed "Under the Christmas Tree" this year.

Sun, Dec 6

• 🎅 Courtice (Clarington), noon — Nash Rd.

Sat, Dec 12

• ✨ Sunderland (Brock), 7pm — from the Sunderland Brock Memorial Arena. Kids, bring a bag for candy.

Parade-day survival kit: a thermos, a camping chair, those heating mittens from Costco, and a non-perishable or two (several parades collect food along the route). For the night parades, glow sticks make small humans much easier to find in a crowd.

🚂 One stop, two towns: the CPKC Holiday Train

The lit-up Holiday Train rolls through on Sun, Nov 29, with free shows at Scugog Rd and Wellington St in Bowmanville (2–2:30pm) and at 680 Laval Dr in Oshawa (3:15–3:45pm). Arrive at least 15 minutes early, and bring a food bank donation; collecting for local food banks is the whole point of the tour.

🗓️ Steal my weekend game plans (or if you only want to make it one full day)

You don't have to be the Grinch to see that there's a lot happening for the holidays. Here's how I'd string them together, so you get the most holiday for the least time in the car.

Sat, Nov 21: the big east-end day. Bowmanville's parade at 10:30am, then (maybe) the Glen Hill Gardens' holiday market in Bowmanville. Spend the afternoon in downtown Oshawa at the Holiday Cheer Market (Market at 70 King, 3–8pm), grab dinner downtown, and claim your spot on Bond St for the Parade of Lights at 6:30pm. That's a lot of standing outside, so the thermos is not optional.

Sat, Nov 28: west side, little-kid edition. Pickering's parade at 10am, then A Storybook Christmas at Pickering Museum Village (until 3pm, under-3s free). Go home for a nap, theirs or yours, then come back out for Ajax's Santa's Spectacle of Lights at 6pm, with a toy or a can for the drive.

Sat, Nov 28, the north-end version: Brock edition. Cannington's parade at 11am, then the Beaverton markets from 4pm, and Beaverton's parade at 6pm. Three Brock events, one tank of gas.

Sun, Nov 29: the train. The CPKC Holiday Train in Bowmanville (2pm) or Oshawa (3:15pm). Bring a can, sing along, and be home before dark.

Fri, Dec 4: date night. Moonlight Magic in downtown Bowmanville, 5–9pm: tree lighting at 6:30, wagon rides, shops open late. Or the Uxbridge Holiday Trail, if you'd rather wander a lit-up small-town main street.

Sat, Dec 5: two parades, one lake. Whitby's parade at 10am, then head north to Scugog for an afternoon at Willowtree's Adventures with Santa (book by Nov 15 for the cheaper tickets, and get there before last entry at 3:30pm), and finish with Port Perry's night parade at 5pm.

Sat, Dec 12: grown-up night out. The Ontario Philharmonic's Nutcracker at the Regent in Oshawa. Or drive up to Sunderland for the last parade of the season at 7pm. Either way, you've earned it.

🆓 Free (or nearly)

The holidays add up. These don't:

• All fourteen Santa parades, and both Holiday Train stops.
• The Merry Market at Heydenshore (Nov 7), Bright and Merry in Oshawa (Nov 20) and Moonlight Magic in Bowmanville (Dec 4).
• Whitby Lights the Night, every evening at Civic Park until Jan 4.
• The Christmas Barn Market at Santa's Cottage. You only need a ticket to see Santa.
• Two streets of over-the-top neighbourhood lights: Old Scugog Rd in Bowmanville and Santa's Hill along Hills Rd in Ajax, all December. Be a good guest.
• Uxbridge's Fantasy of Lights at Elgin Park, nightly from Dec 5.
• More free markets: Downtown Whitby (Nov 13–14), Mary Street (Nov 14), Holiday Cheer at Market at 70 King (Nov 21), Pickering's Winter Wonderland (Dec 5 and 12) and the Merry Little Market at Little Beasts (Dec 12).
• Picks & Giggles in Oshawa is $5, and kids 14 and under get in free. Close enough.

⛸️ Skate, then warm up

When the outdoor rinks open in December, make it a two-stop outing. Skate at the outdoor rink outside the Courtice Community Complex (refrigerated ice, fire pits and a warming room), then get a hot drink at Coffin Creek Coffee nearby. In Ajax, skate at Pat Bayly Square, then cross the street to Goldies Cafe + Eatery for a hot chocolate. Durham Tourism's snow sports page lists every outdoor rink in the region.

🎨 Make something

Some of the best holiday gifts are the ones you make (or at least the ones you make a mess making). Holiday workshops fill up fast, so book early:

• Parkwood Estate in Oshawa runs a full season of holiday craft workshops in the mansion.
• Craft & Gather Studio and the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington post their seasonal classes on their calendars.
• Meta 4 Gallery in Port Perry runs art classes, and Lowe and Simone in Whitby teaches sewing.
• Station Gallery in Whitby hosts Brushes & Beverages, a paint night for adults 19+, on Thurs, Dec 3, 7–9pm ($55, or $50 for gallery patrons). It makes a good holiday night out with friends.
• Sift Bakery in Newcastle sells sugar cookie decorating kits. That's a whole evening sorted.
• Pickering Museum Village lists its holiday programs alongside A Storybook Christmas.
• Holiday in the Hills has gingerbread decorating and a build-your-own-plushie Bear Factory on site.

⛷️ Get outside

If the snow cooperates, Durham's three ski hills open around December. Lakeridge (near Uxbridge) has snow tubing in two-hour sessions, booked online ahead of time, plus a winter holiday camp for kids; Dagmar (Uxbridge) and Brimacombe (Clarington) round it out. None has posted holiday events yet, and opening days depend on the weather, so check before you load the car. After a cold day out, the Nest at Trail Hub near Uxbridge does holiday dining.

🗺️ Holidays, town by town

Ajax

• 🚗 Nov 20–Dec 26 — Journey Into Enchantment at Ajax Downs. More than two million lights on a 2 km drive-through, booked by vehicle and time slot: $39.09 per car on Fridays and Sundays, $47.63 on Saturdays. Pajamas are allowed; nobody can see you.
• 🧥 Thurs, Nov 12, doors 8pm, show 8:30pm — Winter Iz Coming at Ajax Comedy Club — 60 Randall Dr, $19. A comedy night that's also a kids' winter-coat drive.
• 🫧 Nov 10–Jan 10 — Deer Creek's winter dining domes. Private heated domes for a holiday dinner or office party; they book up fast. Deer Creek also hosts Brunch with Santa on Sun, Dec 13, with seatings at 11:30am, noon and 12:30pm.
• ✨ Sat, Nov 28, 6pm — Santa's Spectacle of Lights parade and tree lighting at Ajax Town Hall (see the parade list above).
• 🏡 All December — Santa's Hill, a stretch of Hills Rd where the neighbours go all out. Free, residential, and best done slowly.
• ⛸️ When the ice is in — outdoor skating at Pat Bayly Square, then a hot drink at Goldies across the street.

Brock (Beaverton, Cannington, Sunderland)

• 🛍️ Fri, Nov 6, 5–8pm — Ladies Christmas Crawl on Simcoe St, Beaverton. A girls' night out disguised as holiday shopping.
• 🎄 Sat, Nov 28 — Beaverton Christmas Market on Simcoe St (4–9pm), plus the Jingle & Roar Christmas Market at the Beaverton Fairgrounds (4–11pm). Shop from 4, catch the parade at 6, then go back for round two.
• 🎶 Sat, Dec 19 — Jinglefest, the First Act Youth Company's holiday concert at Beaverton Town Hall.
• 🎅 Three parades: Cannington and Beaverton on Nov 28, Sunderland on Dec 12. All three collect food for the local food banks.

Clarington (Bowmanville, Courtice, Newcastle, Orono)

• 🌟 Nov 21–Dec 22 — Holiday in the Hills at the Orono fairgrounds. Lit trails, crafts and festive characters, with Santa dancing and a tree lighting every night at 6:30pm. Hours are Thurs 4–8pm, Fri 4–9pm, Sat 3–9pm and Sun 3–8pm. General admission is about $15 a ticket; the Santa's Cabin Pass (about $73) covers four people plus a private visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Gingerbread decorating, the Bear Factory and food cost extra, and prices shift a dollar or two by day.
• 🕯️ Fri, Dec 4, 5–9pm — Moonlight Magic & Christmas Market in downtown Bowmanville (King and Temperance Sts), free. Tree lighting at 6:30pm, wagon rides and late shopping hours. The Markets Ontario holiday pop-ups then take over Bowmanville Fri–Sun, Dec 4–20.
• 🥂 Fri–Sat, Nov 13–14, 10am–6pm — Annual Christmas Sip N' Shop at Bloom Field Floral & Garden Centre, 3745 Regional Hwy 2, Newcastle. Food, drinks and music, a store full of Christmas displays, prizes every 30 minutes and six grand prizes. Bring a donation for The Denise House while you're there.
• 🌲 Sat, Nov 21 — holiday market at Glen Hill Gardens, Bowmanville. Do the 10:30am parade, then go shopping.
• 🗺️ Through Dec 31 — A Country Path Christmas, a holiday scavenger hunt through participating rural Clarington businesses.
• 🎅 Sat–Sun, Dec 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20 — Santa @ Knox, Knox Pumpkin Farm, Hampton. Ride the Santa Express to the North Pole, watch the elves in Santa's Workshop, visit Rudolph's stable, and warm up with a cookie and hot chocolate. Tickets are $23.68 a person plus HST (under 2s free) and must be bought ahead. There are Christmas trees and a festive marketplace on site, too.
• 🕯️ Candlelit concerts at Wilmot Orchards (Sat, Nov 28) and Newcastle Community Hall (Sun, Nov 29).
• 🏡 All December — Old Scugog Rd in Bowmanville, a street of privately decorated homes. It's a neighbourhood, not an attraction: drive slowly, park considerately, and say thank you if you see someone out shovelling.

Oshawa

• 🎄 Fri, Nov 20, 5–9pm — Bright and Merry Market, City Hall to Memorial Park, free. Holiday market, buskers, the trolley, Santa and the big tree lighting. Bring a non-perishable for Feed the Need in Durham.
• 🛍️ Sat, Nov 21 — three markets in one day: the Holiday Cheer Market at Market at 70 King (3–8pm), the ThorntonView bazaar and the Winter Maker Market. Shop all afternoon, then claim your parade spot for 6:30pm.
• 🏛️ Christmas at Parkwood Estate, 270 Simcoe St N. The mansion's Christmas tours run Nov 26–30 (booking isn't open yet, so keep checking), and the Winter Fest Vendor Market is Nov 21–22. Parkwood also runs a whole season of holiday craft workshops, so check its events calendar and book early. The rest of the year, guided tours of the main floor are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and youth 7–14, $50 for a family of four, and free for kids 6 and under (plus HST), Wednesday to Sunday, 1–5pm.
• 🎅 Through Dec 23 — Christmas Barn Market at Santa's Cottage, Ritson Rd N, free and no ticket needed. It's open Tues–Thurs 3–8pm and Fri–Sun 9am–5pm (closed Mondays). The traditional Santa visits are already sold out for 2026, but "Jingle Mingle" Santa visits and Outdoor Gallery tickets are still available. Book soon if you want one.
• ❄️ Nov 12–29 and Dec 3–5 — Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Oshawa Little Theatre, 62 Russett Ave, ages 5+. Let it go, but buy tickets first.
• 🩰 Sat, Dec 12 — the Ontario Philharmonic's Nutcracker at the Regent Theatre, followed by a Holiday Jamboree with the RESOUND Choir on Fri, Dec 18. The Regent also has O Christmas Tea (a British comedy) and Elvis: A Christmas Special this season; check its box office for dates.
• 🎸 Sun, Nov 29, 2–5pm — How the Gretsch Stole Christmas at the Biltmore Theatre, then a Candlelight Christmas Classic concert there on Sun, Dec 20.
• ⛸️ Thurs, Dec 10 — Stars on Ice holiday tour at the Tribute Communities Centre.
• 🎟️ Sun, Dec 13 — Picks & Giggles Classic Holiday Market at Kingsway College, $5, kids 14 and under free.
• 🚂 Sun, Nov 29, 3:15–3:45pm — the CPKC Holiday Train at 680 Laval Dr.

Pickering

• ✨ Fri–Sat, Nov 13–14, 5:30–8:30pm — Winter Nights, City Lights, Esplanade Park. Fireworks, food and artisan vendors, roaming characters, and a tree lighting at 6pm both nights.
• 📖 Sat–Sun, Nov 28–29, 10am–3pm — A Storybook Christmas at Pickering Museum Village. Follow Teddy around the historic village, with crafts, treats and a visit with Santa. Toddlers 3 and under are free. Easy to pair with the 10am parade on Saturday.
• 🛍️ Sat–Sun, Nov 28–29, 10am–4pm — Sugar & Snow Holiday Marketplace at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex.
• 🚂 Sat, Dec 5 and 12, 11:30am–3pm — Winter Wonderland at Millennium Square on the waterfront. A miniature train, ice carving and seasonal stalls.

Scugog (Port Perry)

• 🎄 Fri, Nov 20, 5–8pm — the Port Perry Lakefront Farmers' Market holiday pop-up at the Latcham Centre: a candlelit walk, carolling and gingerbread decorating, alongside the town's tree-lighting celebrations.
• 🍎 Fri–Sun, noon–5pm, through Dec 20 — holiday season at Applewood Farm & Winery, 2055 Saintfield Rd, Seagrave, just north of Port Perry. Deck the Halls Day on Sat, Nov 21 (holiday décor, Christmas tunes and a special Christmas drink); a Christmas Market & Mingle on Sun, Nov 29, 11am–4pm, with vendors, pizza and live music; fireside flights with moonshine-spiked hot apple cider and mulled wine every December weekend; and the annual Christmas party on Sun, Dec 20, with live music from Mike Burns, noon–4pm. It's a farm patio, so dress for the weather and leave the dog at home.
• 🎅 Sat–Sun, Dec 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20, 10am–4pm — Adventures with Santa at Willowtree Farm. Follow the North Pole trail through craft stations, outdoor games and a story stroll with Mrs. Claus, then find Santa in the greenhouse for a photo and roast a marshmallow by the bonfire. $15 + HST a person (ages 2+) if you book by Nov 15, $20 after, and every adult needs a ticket too. Last entry is 3:30pm, and Santa takes a milk-and-cookie break from noon to 12:30, so plan around it. Rain or shine, no refunds.
• ✨ Sat, Dec 5, 5pm — the Port Perry Santa Claus parade (see above).
• 🕰️ Fri–Sun, Dec 11–13 — Vintage Holiday Weekend on Queen St, downtown Port Perry, with late shopping on Friday. If any main street in Durham was built for a holiday weekend, it's this one.
• 🎸 Thurs, Dec 3 — a John Denver and Glen Campbell Christmas tribute at Town Hall 1873, then An Elvis Christmas there on Sat, Dec 19.
• 🎭 Dec 27–31 — Snow White Panto at Town Hall 1873. The perfect cure for the weird days between Christmas and New Year's, when nobody knows what day it is.

Uxbridge

• 🎭 Nov 12–21 — Irving Berlin's White Christmas at the Uxbridge Music Hall, then Elf: The Musical (Dec 3–6) and The Nutcracker (Dec 16–20). Three holiday shows in one heritage hall.
• 🥕 Sundays through Dec 13 (no market Nov 29), 10am–3pm — Uxbridge Farmers' Market: Holiday Edition at the Uxbridge Arena. Stocking stuffers next to the root vegetables.
• 🌲 Sat–Sun, Nov 21–22 and Dec 5–6 — Christmas markets at Tindall Farm & Market. Make it a drive along the Leaskdale Loop, a self-guided route of small shops and historic stops.
• 🎶 Fri–Sat, Dec 4–5, 5–8pm — Uxbridge Holiday Trail. Music, markets and a lit-up downtown.
• ✨ Dec 5–Jan 2 — Optimist Fantasy of Lights at Elgin Park, 6–9:30pm nightly and free. More than 100 light displays, and you can drive or walk through.

Whitby (and Brooklin)

• 🎄 Sat, Nov 7, 10:30am–3:30pm — the Merry Market at Heydenshore Pavilion (589 Water St, on the Whitby waterfront), free. Sixty-six local vendors: 50 outdoor stalls and 16 more inside the pavilion, plus a kids' corner and a raffle. Lunch is covered too, with Jamaican Street Meat, The Sausage Guy, Epicsoups and La Vida Juices outside and OMG Coffee Bar inside. Gift-wise, you'll find pottery, stained glass, candles, local honey, hot sauce, treats for the dog, and a cat café booth. It runs rain or shine and most of it is outdoors, so dress for the weather. There's parking on site. The vendor map is out now, so you can plan your route before you go.
• 🎄 Fri–Sat, Nov 13–14 — Downtown Whitby Christmas Market at Celebration Square, free. Performances, crafts, treats, trolley rides and family photos.
• 🛍️ Sat, Nov 14, 10am–5pm — Mary Street Winter Market at Unique Town Boutique.
• 🏡 Sat, Nov 21 — Christmas in the Village in Brooklin, with the Whitby Farmers' Market's holiday edition, plus a holiday market at Sarah's Place.
• 🌟 Fri, Nov 27, 5–9pm — Whitby Lights the Night opening festival at Civic Park (555–575 Rossland Rd E). Tree lighting at 5:30pm, with Santa, the Town Trolley and a parking shuttle. The lights stay on at Civic Park, Celebration Square and Grass Park every evening from dusk to 10pm until Jan 4, with snowflakes along downtown Whitby and décor in downtown Brooklin.
• 🎨 Thurs, Dec 3, 7–9pm — Brushes & Beverages paint night at Station Gallery, 19+, $55 ($50 for patrons). While you're there, the gallery's Resilience exhibition runs Nov 7–Dec 26.
• 🎅 Sat, Dec 5, 10am — the Whitby Santa Claus parade (see above).
• 🍺 Sat, Dec 12, 1–6pm — the Merry Little Market at Little Beasts Brewing Co., free. Holiday shopping with a pint in hand.
• 🎄 Sun, Dec 13, seatings 9–11am — family Christmas morning at Royal Ashburn Golf Club: breakfast, crafts, bracelet-making, an outdoor Christmas walk and letters to the North Pole.

💚 Ways to give (and to volunteer)

The holidays are the busiest season for every food bank and toy drive in Durham. Here's where help goes furthest, starting with the easiest.

Drop something in a bin

• 🚓 Late Nov–late Dec — Durham Regional Police Food and Toy Drive. Drop non-perishable food or new, unwrapped toys at any DRPS station, Regional Headquarters in Whitby, or any fire hall in Ajax, Bowmanville, Oshawa and Whitby. The most-needed items are food, things for teens (gift cards, hair and makeup products, older games, crafts and sports gear), and things for babies (sleepers, infant toys, diapers). Teens are the group that gets forgotten, so start there.
• 🧦 Nov 2–Dec 4 — Operation Cozy Toes & Toy Mountain, Whitby. New socks and new toys go in the barrels at cafés, libraries and Town Hall. A wrap-up celebration at Town Hall runs Fri, Dec 4, 5:30–7pm.
• 🥫 Bring a can to the party: Bright and Merry (Oshawa, Nov 20), the Holiday Train (Nov 29), the Ajax and Bowmanville parades, the THEE Farmers' Parade of Lights and the Brock parades all collect food or toys. You're going anyway.

Give to the food banks directly

• Feed the Need in Durham supplies food banks across the region. They ask for canned protein, hearty canned meals, canned fruit and vegetables, school snacks and grains, and they take money and volunteers too.
• In Uxbridge, Loaves & Fishes Food Bank takes non-perishables at its Toronto St S location, or in the bins at Zehrs, Pharmasave and Trail Capital IDA.
• In Brock, the township's list points to the Brock Community Food Bank and a second local food bank.

Give your time

• 🔔 Salvation Army Christmas kettles need people in every town, usually in two-hour shifts from late November to Christmas Eve, and teens 14+ can earn community service hours. Contact your local Salvation Army (links below) or Volunteer Durham, the United Way's volunteer matching service, which lists holiday roles across the region.
• 🍲 Feed the Need, food banks and hamper programs all need sorters, packers and drivers in December. If you have a free Saturday morning, it's the most useful thing you'll do all month.

If you need a little help this year There's no shame in this one. Holiday hamper and toy programs open registration in November, and most ask you to register with only one organization:

• Salvation Army Oshawa and Salvation Army Bowmanville register online. Ajax–Pickering and Whitby have their own Salvation Army programs by phone.
• Simcoe Hall Settlement House (Oshawa) runs a holiday hamper and toy program.
• Operation Scugog runs holiday hampers in Port Perry and Scugog.
• Anywhere else, call 211 or search 211ontario.ca for your town's program.

There's more on Durham Tourism's Holiday With Heart guide, and I'll add to this page as dates firm up.

Know a tree lighting, church bazaar, toy drive or wildly over-decorated house I should add?

Talk soon, Arina from Whitby