Alight At Night upper canada village

This magical holiday lights trail near Toronto is now open for the season

There is one more dreamy outdoor light installation in Ontario that you'll want to add to your holiday bucket list.

Alight At Night showcases more than one-million individual coloured lights atop gardens, trees, and heritage buildings on a kilometre-long trail just outside of Ottawa (and just shy of four hours outside of Toronto).

You can amble through the illuminated gardens of Upper Canada Village or explore them by horse-drawn wagon or romantic carriage. 

The multi-day event also offers rides on a vintage merry-go-round and miniature train, Christmas carolling and visits with Santa, along with festive food and drink.

The site borders the St. Lawrence River and is one of the largest living-history attractions in the country, with historical mills, workshops and homes from as far back as the 1860s, as well as three restaurants and a bakery. The location is also known for its spooky Halloween extravaganza, Pumpkinferno, which boasts 7,000 jack-0-lantern art displays.

The holiday celebration takes place this season from 5 pm–9 pm for nearly all of December (though it will be closed on the 4, 9, 16-18 and 24-25), as well as January 1-4. Tickets are $12-$19 and include parking and wagon and train rides.

Lead photo by

Upper Canada Village


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