A Christmas market with horse-drawn sleigh rides is about to open in Edmonton's River Valley, and entry will set you back about the price of a fancy coffee.
The Hello Pretty Holiday Market takes over the event centre at Northeast River Valley Park on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, running noon to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is $5 plus fees for anyone aged 13 and up, while kids 12 and under walk in free. Tickets are available online until the opening day.
The shopping side is deliberately curated rather than sprawling: local vendors selling handmade gifts, seasonal decor, holiday treats and festive drinks. It's the kind of setup where you can realistically tick off most of a gift list in one afternoon, then reward yourself with something warm from a stall.
The free extras are where the market earns its family-friendly billing. Santa visits run from 1 to 4 p.m. on both days, and there's no official photographer upsell — guests are welcome to take their own photos with the big man. The sleigh rides are the Sunday-only treat, running the same 1 to 4 p.m. window at no charge.
If you want something more hands-on, there's a paid add-on called Buttercream & Brushstrokes: A Christmas Edition. This cake-painting workshop runs Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. and costs $60 per person, or $75 for a parent-and-child pair. The ticket covers your cake canvas and decorating supplies, plus coffee, tea and hot cocoa while you work. Worth booking ahead if that sounds like your thing, since it's a fixed-capacity session rather than a drop-in activity.
Practically speaking, the venue is at 903 153rd Ave. NE in northeast Edmonton — the River Valley park setting is scenic but you'll want to dress for a prairie November, because sleigh rides and Santa lineups happen whatever the thermometer says. The noon-to-5 window also makes this an easy half-day trip rather than a full commitment, leaving the evening free for other festive plans.
Who should care? Anyone in the Edmonton area hunting for a low-cost, kid-friendly way to kick off the season, or travellers visiting Alberta in mid-November who want something local and seasonal beyond the usual downtown markets. At $5 a head with free Santa photos and no-cost sleigh rides on Sunday, the value is hard to beat — just grab tickets online before November 14 rather than gambling on the gate.
Story via Curiocity.
