Christmas in Muskoka is a run of small-town traditions rather than one big event: Santa Claus parades on Main Streets, a lit-up steam train, theme-park evenings, juried craft markets and holiday concerts in historic halls. Here is what is confirmed for the 2026 season, what usually happens but has not yet been dated, and how to plan around it all.
Santa Claus parades across Muskoka
Most Muskoka towns hold their own parade, spread across late November and early December, so you can often catch more than one in a weekend. Volunteer organisers publish details late, so treat the "usually" entries below as a guide and confirm before you drive.
Bracebridge: Friday, December 4, 2026
The Town of Bracebridge lists the Santa Claus Parade for Friday, December 4, 2026 at 6 p.m. Presented by the Rotary Club of Bracebridge/Muskoka Lakes, it travels along Manitoba Street through downtown. It closes out the town's Festival of Lights, which runs from November 20 to December 4 and opens with a Moonlight Shopping Party and fireworks on November 20. For the full Festival of Lights programme and where to shop downtown, see our Bracebridge Festival of Lights guide.
Port Carling: Saturday, November 28, 2026
The Port Carling Lions Club has set Saturday, November 28, 2026 as its parade date, with more details to come. In 2025 it was an evening parade along Highway 118, followed by visits with Santa at the Port Carling Community Centre. If you are staying over, our guide to things to do in Port Carling covers the village.
Huntsville: usually a Friday evening in late November
Huntsville's parade is usually held on a Friday evening in late November. In 2025 the Town of Huntsville published a route that started on Main Street West at Lorne Street and ran east along Main Street East and King William Street to Huntsville Place Mall. The Town had not posted its 2026 notice when we checked, so confirm the date with the Town of Huntsville or the Rotary Club of North Muskoka. Pair it with our Huntsville winter weekend.
Gravenhurst, Bala and Baysville
- Gravenhurst: a downtown tradition since 1953, usually held on a Saturday morning in late November (in 2025 it was November 22 at 11 a.m.). Confirm the 2026 date with the Town of Gravenhurst, and see our guide to Gravenhurst in winter for the rest of your visit.
- Bala: usually in mid-November; in 2025 it was November 15, followed by skating and a visit with Santa at the Bala Community Centre. Confirm the 2026 date with the organiser.
- Baysville: the Baysville Lions Santa Claus Parade is usually a Sunday afternoon in early December; in 2025 it started at 1 p.m. on December 7. Confirm the 2026 date with the Lions or the Township of Lake of Bays.
Lights, trains and Santa visits
Muskoka Christmas at Santa's Village, Bracebridge
Santa's Village, the family theme park on the Muskoka River in Bracebridge, runs its Muskoka Christmas season on weekends from November 21 to 29 and from December 5 to 23, 2026, according to its ticket page. Muskoka Christmas hours run from the afternoon into the evening and change from date to date, so check the park's hours calendar before you go. Tickets are sold online, and cost more at the gate.
Portage Flyer Christmas Train, Huntsville
At Muskoka Heritage Place in Huntsville, the Portage Flyer Christmas Train runs on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. (the last train leaves at 7:30 p.m.), with a sensory-friendly ride at 4:30 p.m. The locomotive and coaches are strung with lights and ride alongside the Muskoka River to the Purser's Cabin, where Santa is waiting for photos. Free hot chocolate and cookies are offered while supplies last. Tickets are $5 per person, with babes in arms free, and are bought on site just before boarding; there are no advance tickets or reserved seats. Board at Rotary Village Station, 100 Forbes Hill Drive. The coaches are open-air, so dress for snow and frozen or muddy ground, and leave pets at home (registered service animals are welcome).
Holiday markets and handmade gifts
Muskoka Arts & Crafts, a non-profit arts organisation founded in 1963, runs a juried holiday market featuring work by its members. Muskoka Tourism lists the market at MA&C on Main, 63 Manitoba Street in downtown Bracebridge, from mid-November until shortly before Christmas. Check with MA&C for this year's dates and hours. It makes an easy stop on a Festival of Lights evening.
Muskoka Tourism also keeps a regional holiday event calendar, which is worth checking for smaller community craft sales and tree lightings that are posted later in the season.
Christmas concerts and theatre
Gravenhurst Opera House
The Gravenhurst Opera House has a full holiday line-up for 2026:
- O Christmas Tea, the comic Christmas tea-party show by the duo James and Jamesy: Monday, November 9.
- Sharon, Lois & Bram's Candles, Snow & Mistletoe with Sharon Hampson: Saturday, December 5, 2 p.m., a family event that includes a screening of the trio's 1993 holiday TV special.
- A Bluesy Christmas: Friday, December 11, 7:30 p.m., Christmas favourites given the blues treatment, with guest Lance Anderson.
- A John McDermott Family Christmas: Saturday, December 12, 3 p.m.
Algonquin Theatre, Huntsville
The Algonquin Theatre box office lists The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition on Saturday, November 21; Muskoka Dance Academy's Holiday Magic on Sunday, December 6; and The Barra MacNeils' An East Coast Christmas on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre, Bracebridge
Theatre Muskoka presents the Muskoka Men of Song's 2026 Christmas concert, Someday at Christmas, on Saturday, December 12 at 7 p.m. at the Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre, with guests including the Muskoka Falls Public School Choir.
Plan around it
- Book early. The Opera House and Algonquin Theatre are intimate rooms, and popular holiday shows sell out. Buy tickets as soon as you have your dates, and book accommodation early for parade weekends.
- Check before you go. Parade dates, times and routes are set by volunteer organisers and can change, and outdoor events can be postponed for weather. Check the organiser's or town's page on the day. Parades close downtown streets for a few hours, so arrive early and expect to walk from parking.
- Dress for the cold. Evening parades and the open-air Portage Flyer coaches mean standing outside after dark. Bring warm boots, a hat and mitts, and something hot to drink.
- Allow for winter driving. Snow can arrive well before Christmas. Check road conditions before you leave and give yourself extra time.
- Shop local. Downtown Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Huntsville and Port Carling all have independent shops, so a parade or market visit doubles as a gift-shopping trip.
