Victorian Christmas kicks off holidays in Charlottetown
Victorian Christmas Weekend returns to historic Charlottetown this year and, for the first time ever, will take place during the same weekend as the Charlottetown Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Running from Friday, Nov. 24, to Sunday, Nov. 26, the yuletide celebration will feature many festive activities for the whole family.
Heidi Zinn, executive director of Discover Charlottetown, said, “Having an event that showcases Charlottetown as a cozy winter destination is really fun. It encourages people to think outside the box with their travel plans and allows them to see our beautiful destination in a different light.” Programming highlights of the weekend will include free horse and wagon rides, an openair market, a Christmas themed petting zoo, public sing-alongs with Jill Chandler, ice sculpting demos, classic Christmas movies at City Cinema, historical walking tours, church tours, onsite caroling, a Christmas tree garden, and more.
The Victorian Christmas Market, will run Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday. Reminiscent of the European Christmas markets, this pedestrian market will see a block of Queen Street and part of Victoria Row transformed into an assortment of vendors, music and Christmas spirit.
Charlottetown businesses are joining in the new holiday tradition by offering hotel packages, holiday deals, breakfast with Santa, festive decor and more. The Confederation Court Mall will have additional activities programmed for the weekend and feature a warm-up zone, with free cider and other goodies.
“The Victorian Christmas Weekend is another great initiative meant to encourage off-Island visitation and increase bookings during the winter shoulder season,” said the Heath MacDonald, minister of Economic Development and Tourism.
Discover Charlottetown and the City of Charlottetown will partner again this year to offer free horse and wagon rides, all weekend long. These take place during Victorian Christmas Market hours: Friday, Nov. 24, 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 25, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 26, 12 to 5 p.m. Market goers can catch the horse and wagon on the corner of Richmond St. and Queen St.
The organizers are hopeful that clustering all of theses holiday activities together will create a magical kickoff to the season and showcase Charlottetown as a backdrop for winter festivities.
Charlottetown Special Events Reserve Fund chairwoman, Laurel Lea, says, “Such an event takes advantage of Charlottetown’s charm and serves as a strong regional travel motivator during the holiday season. By coupling the Victorian Christmas Weekend with two signature City of Charlottetown celebrations - the Charlottetown Christmas Parade and Wintertide Holiday Festival Tree Lighting, it serves to create the potential for more weekend traffic to Charlottetown accommodations, directly meeting SERF’s mandate of driving heads in beds.”
Additional events and special offerings will be taking place throughout the city to celebrate Victorian Christmas Weekend. For a full lineup of events and promotions, visit www.DiscoverCharlottetown.com/VictorianVictorian Christmas