Holiday Magic: 10 Festive Delights to Discover in North Bay

The historic waterfront city of North Bay, Ontario, punches above its weight when it comes to the winter holidays. We've rounded up the top things to do in the city this season—whether you're looking for a place to shop local or a snowy activity for the whole family, we've got you covered.

Here's your guide to holiday fun in North Bay. 

1. Winter Outdoor Market

An exciting new event coming to our festive city is the Winter Outdoor Market co-hosted by Tourism North Bay, Downtown North Bay, the North Bay Economic Development Department, Creative Industries, and The Artisan's Way. This weekly market occurring every Saturday of November (2nd,9th,16th and 23rd) is the perfect way to start making your spirits bright! Each week will include a maker's market, mini train rides, live music, Santa Claus visits, holiday film screenings, Franco programming and much more! Make sure to grab a Winter Market passport while you shop! Make a purchase at one Artisan Way vendor and two downtown stores, get your passport stamped and submit it for a draw for Downtown Dollars!

A very fun event returning for the Winter Outdoor Market is the DTNB Winter Cookie Crawl. Visit participating downtown stores and restaurants and purchase a cookie and have your Cookie Crawl passport stamped and entered into a draw for Downtown Dollars.

The Outdoor Winter Market isn't the only market that happens in the city during the holiday season. Check out the list of all North Bay's festive markets at the end of the article.

2. Take an Old Fashioned Christmas Walk

November 29th is the date for North Bay’s most annually anticipated holiday event, the Downtown Old Fashioned Christmas Walk! From 6-9 pm, stroll down Main Street and peruse all the stores and restaurants that will be open late with various promotions. Special events for the evening are still being released. Confirmed activities include mini train rides for kids, Santa Claus pictures at the Capitol Centre, and Christmas tree lighting with city dignitaries. Keep your eye on Downtown North Bay’s social media for details as they are released!

3. Make it a Date Night with Capitol Centre Holiday Programming

A great way to get into the holiday spirit is by taking in a performance at the local theatre! The Capitol Centre has some amazing Holiday programming happening this year. Local performances include Haleyfest -  which features various school choirs -  and the North Bay Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Concert. Other Programming includes the Barra MacNeils's - An East Coast Christmas, A Bluesy Christmas, and The Fitzgerald's - A Canadian Christmas. The Capitol Center also hosts a Children’s Holiday Open House.

4. Tour Hallmark Movie Sets

A fun fact about North Bay is that it’s a popular filming location for Hallmark Christmas movies! Why not visit some of the most popular set locations around the city? Take a self-guided tour of these holiday movie hot spots and recreate your favourite scenes! 

• Check out this list of the Top 10 Christmas movie hot spots in North Bay.

5. Run or Cheer the HO HO HOLIDAY 5K

Join a festive and fun national event being hosted in North Bay by Active Running, where all the participants dress like Santa Claus! The HO HO HOLIDAY 5K combines the holiday spirit with community engagement and fitness. Registration for the run includes your Santa suit and other fun goodies. This is a fun and active way for families and friends to come together, dress up as Santa and celebrate the Holidays in a meaningful way with money raised going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is a fun run, so you can take your time, set a new world record, walk it, or jog it.

6. Grab a Hot Drink and Tour the Christmas Lights

Every year, families make it a priority to take a drive through the city to look at the Christmas lights. Once the snow flies, head to Twiggs Coffee Roasters, grab a warm beverage and spend time taking in the lights of the city. Some notable neighbourhoods include Birchaven, Graniteville, Airport/Wallace Heights, Gateway and Pinewood. If you’ve got time for a bit of a longer ride, head out to Powassan. The residents of this small town have been enhancing their light show year after year, and it is well worth the fifteen-minute drive. There’s something magical about the first few snowfalls of December, so if you’re driving around during the day after a fresh snowfall, take some time and head up Highway 11 towards Temagami or down Highway 17 towards Mattawa to view the truly gorgeous landscape of the fresh sparkling snow clinging to the trees.

7. Enjoy Craft Beer and Live Music at Festival of Trees and All Things Christmas

Enjoy an amazing two days of live music at Gateway City Brewery while participating in a great local cause. At the Festival of Trees and All Things Christmas, fully decorated Christmas trees, wreaths, decorations and many other items are put up for silent auction. All the items are on display, which creates a beautiful atmosphere to enjoy the live music and delicious craft beer. The proceeds from the event will be going to the NBRHC Foundation to enhance healthcare close to home and the PADDLE program to enhance their programming for adults with developmental disabilities. The festival will also feature a raffle for a Christmas Cheer Basket. Entry to the event is free and it’s a great event for people of all ages.

8. Pamper Yourself at a Spa Open House

Travelling Toes Spa has arguably one of the best holiday open houses in town and this year it’s going to be better than ever. Head into the spa to check out the amazing promotions on retail items and services - the perfect gifts for your loved ones…or yourself! You can enjoy refreshments provided by Blendz Smoothies while you peruse the welcoming and relaxing space and enjoy mini treatments from their new vendors! Mini services this year include mini reiki sessions from YogaSense and mini Indian head massages from Metta Wellness. The Patch Bar will also be set up with their patch and charm bracelet bar. Take advantage of holiday spa packages, giveaways and enter the draw for their amazing door prizes. The open house is November 23rd from 10 am to 3 pm.

9. Get Creative With an Artsy Holiday Activity

If you’d like to get some friends, family or coworkers together for a night of artsy fun to get into the spirit, North Bay has some great options. Head to Incandescence Glass Studio and join Angela Legere for one of her public or private Christmas glass workshops. Make a set of fused glass ornaments or try your hand at glass etching (on ornament bulbs, wine glasses or beer mugs).

New to North Bay is Clayverly’s Pottery Studio. Run by a mother and daughter, Clayverly’s offers several public holiday workshops, but private workshops can also be booked. Join them for workshops such as classic Christmas ornaments or creating a winter banner with Zoe. Starting November 15th they are also offering take-away clay kits of ready-to-decorate ornaments for people to paint at home and return for their final firing. Check out their calendar for all of their offerings.

Have you ever wanted to learn a fibre art or better your skills? Why not do so while creating a fun Christmas craft at Stix and Stones. Owner Rae Brenne offers various classes that are perfect for gift making! Classes available this season include crocheted stockings, festive felting, and winter weaving. She also has classes available to learn to knit cable toques and super quick mitts!

10. Spot Santa at the Santa Claus Parade

Is there a more classic way to get into the holiday vibe than the local Santa Claus parade? This year’s parade theme is a country Christmas. On November 17th, toss on your cowboy boots and hat and head down to the parade route at noon to join in some community fun! Make sure to bring your letter for Santa and donations for the North Bay Food Bank.

Local Holiday Markets in North Bay: Mark Your Calendars!

November 2nd - 35th Annual Davedi’s Artisan Craft Show

November 9th - Annual Ski & Snowboard Exchange

November 10th - Unique Artisan’s 41st Annual Christmas Craft Show

November 16th - Callander Winter & Holiday Market

November 23rd - North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre’s Indigenous Winter Market

November 29th to December 1st - St Nick’s Victorian Market

November 30th & December 1st - Outloud North Bay’s Two-Day Christmas Market & Photos with Santa

November 30th & December 1st - North Bay Potters’ Guild Annual Holiday Sale

December 1st - Hello December Winter Market

December 1st - Witty Artisan’s 16th Annual Christmas Craft Show

December 7th - Handmade Christmas Market at BReal Studios

December 8th - Elves and Eggnog Christmas Market

December 14th - Black Saddle Barn Christmas Market

Plan Your Festive Holiday Fun in North Bay Today!

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