Tis the season to make your holiday memories in Nova Scotia! If you’re having trouble deciding what to buy for that difficult person on your list or what to do with your Christmas company, our top ten list of Nova Scotian seasonal activities is sure to make you wish the holidays were just a little bit longer so you can do it all!
- Nova Scotia’s cultural offerings paired with seasonal food and wine events are the perfect complement to a festive getaway. Give the gift of a Nova Scotia getaway or take a holiday break yourself – there are a variety of value-added packages from all regions of the province to explore this holiday season.
- From seasonal craft fairs to pre-Christmas sales, wrap up your shopping adventure in a travel package for added value. Many operators have seasonal shopping packages such as Haliburton House Inn, Holiday Inn Harbourview, Best Western Chocolate Lake and more. You’ll feel so good about saving on accommodations, it’ll ease your conscience about the new shoes Santa can bring you.
- Enjoy one of the many events taking place this holiday season: the Nutcracker or a seaside Christmas Festival, a community tree lighting ceremony or the lighting of the Menorah, New Year’s Eve Balls or a bevy of New Year’s Levees. Explore all the ways to make Nova Scotia’s holiday traditions your own.
- Halifax is the ideal winter destination. The best shopping in the east offers up boutiques and eclectic shops in extraordinary retail districts like Spring Garden Road, Argyle and Barrington Streets and the Hydrostone. We’ve also got all the big name stores and outlets in malls and retail parks. Balance out the retail therapy with a dash of hot hockey excitement, casino gaming, live theatre and live music with a nightlife scene that’s second to none.
- Delight your extreme side by heading out into the waves with your surfboard. Some of the best surfing of the year occurs when the Atlantic Ocean churns under winter gales, sending waves crashing into Nova Scotia’s many beaches.
- Take in a live performance at one of the province’s stage theatres, including Neptune Theatre in Halifax, Mulgrave Road Theatre in Guysborough, Savoy Theatre in Sydney, DeCoste Centre in Pictou, Mermaid Theatre in Windsor, or the Chester Playhouse.
- Go skating at one of the many rinks you’ll find across the province or try out the new outdoor attraction, The Oval on the Halifax Commons. Or if the ice is at least 10 cm or 4 inches thick, head out onto one of hundreds of frozen lakes to experience the thrill of skating under an open sky.
- Don’t tell the kids but Nova Scotia has a way of making learning fun! You can find out for yourself by taking the family to places like the Discovery Centre in Halifax, the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, the Museum of Industry in Stellarton or Ross Farm. Most of the 27 Nova Scotia Museums and National Historic Sites are open year-round, making them ideal places for some indoor winter fun.
- Take a day away from the hustle and bustle to explore the many great holiday drives across the province, including Christmas Island, Noel Shore, Mary Joseph, Chimney Corner, Starr Point, Bell Cove and Cape North.
- Music abounds this holiday season and Nova Scotia is a musical melting pot. From Christmas concerts to holiday tours, from caroling to choirs singing, there is a multitude of musical events to enjoy during the month of December.
- Indoors or out, you’re sure to find something that makes you glad you’re able to experience and enjoy the many reasons for the season here in Nova Scotia!