Jasper, the mountain town inside Alberta’s Jasper National Park, has started its annual Christmas in Jasper season, which runs from November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027. The program, organised by Tourism Jasper, is designed to give visitors a reason to come in the quieter early-winter weeks, with a mix of free activities, workshops and food-and-drink events spread across the town. Jasper sits within the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site, so the scenery alone does a lot of the work.
The centrepiece for many visitors is the Jasper Mug Trail, which runs from November 13 to January 14, 2027. Participants get vouchers for five festive drinks at local businesses, and five golden tickets are hidden inside mugs for prizes. It is a simple idea, but a good excuse to wander between cafés and bars after a cold day outdoors.
Families have plenty to choose from. Letters to Santa can be written for free at the Jasper Visitor Experience Centre throughout the season, and gift-wrapping stations run until December 25. The Jasper Pony Express offers complimentary horse-drawn wagon rides around town. Scheduled workshops include a felted Christmas gnome session on December 5 and a personal pizza-making class on December 16, alongside other craft and cooking sessions.
Jasper is about 370 kilometres west of Edmonton and around 404 kilometres northwest of Calgary, according to Parks Canada, so most visitors arrive by car. Winter driving in the Rockies demands proper preparation: fit winter tyres, check road conditions before setting out, and carry warm layers in case of delays. Book accommodation early for the holiday weeks, when rooms in town fill quickly.
Sources: Tourism Jasper, AD HOC NEWS
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