The small Alberta town of Olds has been throwing itself a Christmas party since 1993, and the tradition shows no sign of slowing down. Olds Fashioned Christmas returns on Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28, spreading across multiple venues around town with a schedule that mixes free community fun with a few ticketed highlights.
The weekend kicks off Friday afternoon with a skate alongside Buddy the Elf and friends at Olds Sportsplex from noon to 1:30 p.m., followed by the Kick Off Christmas Fireworks at Rotary Athletic Park from 7 to 7:30 p.m. — a half-hour burst of light to officially open the season.
Saturday is the big day. Early risers can book Breakfast with the Grinch at Holy Trinity School, with seatings at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $10 for adults and teens, $5 for seniors and kids, and children three and under go free — but you'll need to register ahead. At 10:30 a.m., teams of up to six can battle it out at the second annual Tree Decorating Throwdown at Future Ag Event Centre; registering a team costs $50. The same venue hosts a Touch of Christmas Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and caroling truck rides from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Over at MVP Aquatic Centre there's a Grinchmas Swim from 1 to 4 p.m. at regular public swim rates.
The evening wraps things up in style: Light Up the Park at Centennial Park runs 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the Santa Claus Parade of Lights rolls through multiple Olds locations from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The town also publishes a fuller Christmas calendar online if you want to stretch the festivities beyond the opening weekend.
What makes this worth a detour is the value — most of the programme is free, and the ticketed bits are cheap by event standards. It's a genuine small-town celebration rather than a commercial production, which is exactly the vibe many people want in early winter: strings of lights, carols from a truck, a parade after dark. Olds sits roughly an hour north of Calgary along Highway 2, so it's an easy day trip or a cosy overnight from Calgary, Red Deer or Edmonton. Aim for the fireworks on Friday and the parade on Saturday if you can only pick two things, and book the Grinch breakfast early since seats are limited.
If your December calendar is already packed, note the dates fall just before Advent gets busy — a weekend here could be your whole Christmas errand list and festive fix sorted in one go.
