> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thebanffguide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Christmas in Jasper: Snow Days, Fondue and Festive Plans - URL: https://thebanffguide.com/christmas-in-jasper/ - Published: 2026-11-04T21:43:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T21:43:19.000Z - Description: Plan a festive Jasper break with hands-on workshops, the Mug Trail, family activities and practical advice for travelling in winter. - Author: Kev - Tags: Things to Do, Events, Food and Drink, Trip Planning Snowshoeing followed by cheese fondue is a winter activity with its priorities in order. Christmas in Jasper runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, bringing food experiences, craft workshops and family activities to town alongside the winter outings. The restaurants and bars are part of the entertainment, with chefs teaching pizza making, bartenders sharing recipes and whisky served with chocolate. You can put on your ski boots, spend an afternoon making something or follow a trail whose main requirement is a mug. ## Start with the mountains, finish with fondue SunDog's [Snowshoe Fondue tour](https://www.sundogtours.com/package/snowshoe-fondue?ref=thebanffguide.com) takes you out into Jasper National Park with a guide, then brings you back to cheese fondue at Whiskey Jack. Along the way, there's time to learn about winter wildlife and look for tracks in the snow. This is a chance to try snowshoeing without having to work out your own route. You don't need previous experience, although the outing is rated moderate and you need to be comfortable walking outdoors in winter. The three-hour tour starts its winter departures on 15 December and costs C$105 plus taxes, for ages 13 and over. December pickups from Jasper townsite are between 2:15 pm and 2:30 pm, with additional pickups at Pyramid Lake Lodge and Jasper Park Lodge. If you'd rather spend your day skiing, Marmot Basin has lessons and equipment rental as well as lift tickets. For skating, try Pyramid Lake beneath Pyramid Mountain, or Mildred Lake in the Jasper Park Lodge grounds. Both have maintained outdoor skating areas once conditions allow. Skating depends on conditions, especially early in the season. Use the maintained facilities when open and follow local ice information; Parks Canada does not monitor natural ice for safety. ## Take a mug for a walk The [Jasper Mug Trail](https://www.jasper.travel/christmas-in-jasper/christmas-events-and-workshops/jasper-mug-trail?ref=thebanffguide.com) turns a wander around town into a series of drink stops. You buy a locally designed mug with five festive-drink vouchers, then choose from 21 participating locations. The non-alcoholic package costs C$30 and the alcoholic version costs C$50\. Both are available at participating businesses and the Visitor Experience Centre, with printed maps and window stickers showing you where to go. There's no set departure or group to keep up with. You can stop after a walk, meet someone coming back from skiing or make it part of an afternoon around town. The trail runs from 13 November to 14 January, a little longer than the main Christmas programme. ## Let Jasper's cooks and bartenders show you a few things ### Whisky, chocolate and an evening at The Maligne Range The Maligne Range's tasting on 19 November pairs four of its Canadian whiskies with chocolate, with a welcome cocktail and charcuterie included. It runs from 7 pm to 9 pm and costs C$43.28. The hosts explain the ingredients and work behind the whisky, and beginners are welcome. You can ask questions without needing to arrive with a practised opinion about oak. ### Cocktails at Evil Dave's, pizza at Jasper Pizza Place Simple Syrup 101 at Evil Dave's Grill teaches you to make syrup and balance sweet and sour flavours in cocktails and mocktails. You'll taste the Riverbank cocktail and Southern Nights mocktail, with recipes to take home. The session costs C$43.28 and runs on 11 December from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. If cooking is more your thing, chef Tim Barath teaches pizza making at Jasper Pizza Place, taking you through dough preparation, shaping, toppings and baking. Sessions are on 26 November and 16 December; the December workshop runs from 1 pm to 3 pm and costs C$17.90. ### Mulled drinks after Christmas On 27 December, Terra hosts Mulling it Over from 3 pm to 6 pm. The C$32.70 workshop includes three drink tastings and light snacks while you learn about making spiced mulled drinks. It's one of the confirmed sessions during the Christmas holiday itself. Many of the other workshops take place earlier, so a November or early December break has a different choice of activities. ## Make something for the tree The weekend of 5 and 6 December brings two needle-felting workshops. Both welcome beginners aged 16 and over, with materials and a drink supplied, so you can try a new craft without first buying an entire new hobby. Fibre artist Elaine Grandon leads the Christmas gnome workshop at Su Casa Mexican Lounge on 5 December, from 1 pm to 3 pm. The C$28.48 ticket includes churros, and you choose details such as the gnome's beard and hat; bookings close on 1 December. The next morning, The Maligne Range hosts a snowman ornament workshop from 9 am to 11 am. Tickets cost C$33.77 and sales end on 2 December. Younger children have their own Christmas business at the Visitor Experience Centre. Letters to Santa is free, with stationery, a Santa mailbox, colouring pages and stickers provided; include a return address if your child would like a reply. ## Practical information for a Christmas visit ### Dates, accommodation and time needed For a short break, two or three nights gives you time for an outdoor day, an event and a look around town. Choose your dates around any workshop you particularly want to attend: the [programme](https://www.jasper.travel/christmas-in-jasper?ref=thebanffguide.com) lasts several weeks, but each session has its own date and time. Staying in town is convenient for the food and craft events. The Maligne Range, Evil Dave's, Jasper Pizza Place, Su Casa and Terra are all on Connaught Drive. ### Getting there in winter Highway 16 approaches Jasper from the east and west. From Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise, the route north follows the Icefields Parkway, roughly 230 km from Lake Louise to Jasper. Snow tyres or chains are required on the Parkway from 1 November to 31 March and whenever it is covered in snow or ice. There are no services along the route in winter, so fill up before leaving and carry warm clothing, food and water. Travel in daylight and use Alberta 511 for road conditions before departure; [Parks Canada's winter driving guide](https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/experience/hiver-winter/pcghiver-ipwinter?ref=thebanffguide.com) links to the reports. Leave some room on arrival day, especially if you're travelling north for an event with a fixed start time. There's a pleasure in doing something small and unhurried on a mountain holiday: making an ornament, learning a recipe or sitting down to a drink after a walk. Jasper has made room for those afternoons, too. ## FAQs: Christmas in Jasper #### When is Christmas in Jasper in 2026? The main programme runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027\. The Mug Trail continues until 14 January, while workshops take place on individual dates. #### Is Christmas in Jasper suitable for non-skiers? Yes. The programme includes food and drink experiences, craft workshops and the Mug Trail. The Snowshoe Fondue tour is another option, with no previous snowshoeing experience required. #### Are there alcohol-free options? The Mug Trail has a C$30 non-alcoholic package. Pizza making, felting and Letters to Santa provide other activities that don't revolve around drinking. #### Which activities suit younger children? Letters to Santa is a free family activity at the Visitor Experience Centre. The felting workshops are for ages 16 and over, and the Snowshoe Fondue tour is for ages 13 and over. #### Is the Mug Trail an organised tour? It's self-directed: buy a package at a participating business or the Visitor Experience Centre, then choose your stops. The package includes a mug and five drink vouchers.