Winter Festivals in Banff and Lake Louise, Month by Month

The Bow Valley does not go quiet in winter. From the middle of November there is something on most weekends, and a couple of them are worth building a trip around.

November: the Banff Christmas Market

Held over several weekends in November at Warner Stables just outside the townsite. Craft stalls, food, mulled wine and a genuinely good atmosphere in the cold. It is ticketed and it sells out, so book when the dates are announced rather than when you arrive.

Canmore runs its own smaller market, and both towns light up early: Banff Avenue in December, with the mountains behind it, is the picture people come for.

December: Christmas in the mountains

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Banff are quiet and slightly magical. Most restaurants take reservations well ahead. The Fairmont Banff Springs does the full production and books months out.

Lake Louise puts a skating rink on the frozen lake in front of the Chateau, and builds an ice castle beside it. It is free to walk on and you can rent skates. Late December through March, ice depending.

January: SnowDays and Ice Magic

SnowDays takes over Banff for most of January: snow sculptures on Banff Avenue, events across the townsite, and a lot of it free.

The Ice Magic Festival at Lake Louise brings international ice carvers to the lakeshore for a competition, and the finished pieces stay up for weeks afterwards. It is the best single winter event in the park and it is worth the drive on its own.

February: the deep month

The quietest and coldest stretch, and the best for northern lights and empty ski runs. Family Day long weekend, the third Monday of February, is the exception and is busy.

March: the good snow

The base is deepest and the days are getting long. Spring skiing at Sunshine runs well into May. This is when the locals ski.

Planning notes

• Book accommodation for the Christmas market weekends, Christmas itself and Family Day well ahead.
• Dress for standing still in the cold, which is different from dressing for skiing.
• The events are spread between the townsite, Warner Stables and Lake Louise, which is 45 minutes up the highway.

Getting around during festival weekends

Banff parking in December and January is the single most common complaint we hear. The townsite is small, the lots fill, and driving between the townsite and Lake Louise after dark in January is not everybody's idea of an evening.

We run fixed-rate evening transfers for the markets, the Ice Magic Festival and Christmas dinners, so you can leave the car and have a drink with the mulled wine.