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Updated 2019: The Ultimate List of Utah Christmas Activities including Santa photos, light displays, concerts, ice skating rinks, festivals, tree cutting, nativity displays and more!
*Last updated: November 2019*
UTAH CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES
Looking for Christmas Activities in Utah? It’s your lucky day!
This Utah Christmas Activities list provides events, locations and cost of all the best Utah Christmas activities.
So Festive Tip: Get a head start planning your Christmas activities before concerts and events are sold out!
Please note:
- This post will be updated throughout the season as new information becomes available. Bookmark it or Pin It for easy reference!
- I try my best to keep this list updated, but please double check times and details before you go.
THIS LIST IS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY TYPE OF EVENT IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:
- Christmas Lights and Tree Lighting Displays
- Christmas Trees and U-cut Farms
- Concerts/Events
- Ice Skating
- Festivals
- Nativity Displays
- Santa
- Service Opportunties
- Sledding + Skiing
- Advent Sundays
- Other
- Great for Kids!
ENJOY! Merry Christmas Season!!
Utah Christmas Lights & Tree Lighting Displays
FREE
- Layton City Lighting Ceremony and Display – Layton
- Temple Square Lighting– Salt Lake City – lights are on all season until January 1 (parking info here)
- Ogden’s Christmas Village Lighting – Ogden – light on until January 1
- Christmas Light Parade– Kanab
- Kaysville Lights the City– Kaysville
- Draper Tree Lighting – Draper (includes Tree of Life)
- Bountiful Tree Lighting– Bountiful
- Lights On! Gallivan Center Lighting and Festival– Salt Lake City- ice skating costs $- 4:oo pm
- Lights on Sherwood Drive- Kaysville
- Hooper Holiday House – Hooper
- Pond Town Christmas– Salem
COST MONEY
- Christmas in Color– South Jordan & Provo – $30 per car
- Provo River Christmas Cruise, Provo- $8
- Hogle Zoo Lights– Salt Lake City
- Thanksgiving Point – Lehi
- Spanish Fork Festival of Lights
- Willard Bay Festival of Lights
Christmas Trees and U-Cut Farms
*Be sure to contact the tree farm directly before going to ensure they still have trees left!
- Utah National Forests Christmas Tree Cutting – Heber/Kamas district-permits go on sale early November- permits sold at Soldier Hollow in Midway
- Utah National Forests Christmas Tree Cutting – Ashley National Forest district- permits go on sale November 15th at forest service offices
- North Pole Pines – Farr West – cut your own tree
- Prepaid Christmas Trees – delivered to your door
- Green Ridge Christmas Trees– Kaysville – opens November 24th, free hot chocolate and candy canes
- Meldrum Christmas Tree Farms– 2073 West Gentile Street, Layton – opens November 24th and 25th
- Papa’s Pines- Morgan – call 801-721-7075 for opening details
Utah Christmas Concerts, Events, & Ballets
FREE
- November 22-23- Bells on Temple Square Holiday Concert – Salt Lake City
- Christmas in the Canyon– St. George
- Messiah Sing In at Abravenel Hall – Salt Lake City
- Young Chambers Christmas Oranges Concert– Salt Lake City
- Santa Parade– Tooele
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Christmas Devotional– Salt Lake City
- Beehive Statesmen Barbershop Choir Christmas Concert– West Valley – open to children and families
- Utah Valley Handbell Ringers– Click here for a list of ALL concerts
- – A Cache Valley Christmas– Cache Valley
- Winter Symphony and Sing Along– West Valley – open to children and families
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert
- Caroling on Main Street- Bountiful
- Kamas Valley Christmas Concert– Kamas
- Bonnie Harris and The Valley Jazz Christmas Concert– West Valley City
- Christmas Carols at the Cathedral of the Madeline – Salt Lake City
- The Salt Lake Children’s Choir at Christmas- Cathedral of the Madeline- SLC
COST MONEY
- Clytie Adams School of Ballet Nutcracker – $15-20
- Savior of the World– Salt Lake City- varies
- Trans Siberian Orchestra– Salt Lake City- $
- Ballet West Nutcracker– Ogden – $10-45
- Cache Valley Civic Ballet – The Nutcracker- Logan- $
- –A Christmas Carol– CenterPoint Legacy Theater- Centerville – $19.50-25
- –Polar Express Ride– Heber – $25-50
- The Forgotten Carols– Salt Lake City, Murray, St. George, Logan, Orem- $18-30
- A Christmas Carol – Hale Center Theater- Salt Lake- $29-35
- Nathan Pacheco Christmas Concert– Salt Lake City
- The Lower Lights Christmas Concert – Salt Lake City- $16-30
- Ballet West The Nutcracker – Salt Lake City – $
- Sing Choir of Angels Concert – Provo- $5-10
- Utah Regional Ballet Nutcracker – $
- Messiah– Cedar City
- Dicken’s Christmas Ball– West Jordan
- A Kurt Bestor Christmas– Salt Lake City- $
- Peter Breinholt Christmas Concert– Salt Lake City- $16.50-20
- Mannheim Steamroller– Salt Lake City – $40-75
- A Jim Brickman Christmas– Salt Lake City
Ice Skating
COST MONEY
- Outdoor Skating Rink- Station Park-Farmington
- Park City Mountain Resort Resort Center Ice Rink– Park City
- Outdoor Skating- The Gallivan Center
Festivals
FREE
- Festival of Lights– Bountiful
- Ogden’s Christmas Village – Ogden
- Christkindlmarkt– Salt Lake City
- Elf Display/Scavenger Hunt at Gardner Village– West Jordan
- Grand America Gingerbread House Display/Holiday Window Stroll – Salt Lake City
- Holly Days in the Park – Riverton (vendors, walk to see giant story book pages of Twas the Night Before Christmas, warm scones, hot chocolate, ($)
- Gingerbread Festival– Bountiful
- Holiday Fun Day– Ogden – crafts, food, and fun
- Candlelight Christmas @ This is the Place State Park– Salt Lake City
- Candy Cane Hunt – Draper- for ages 3-6
- Midway City Town Party– Midway
COST MONEY
- Utah Santa Run– Provo
- Santa Run– Ogden
- The Festival of Trees– Salt Lake City
- Dickens Christmas Festival– St. George – $7 adults, $5 children
- Hardware Ranch Elk Festival and Sleigh Rides – Cache Valley
- Utah Santa Run– West Jordan
- Christmas Festival– Salt Lake City – $7 adults, $5 children
- A Candlelight Christmas- Salt Lake City
- Pioneer Christmas– Provo
Utah Nativity Displays
FREE
- Christmas Creche Display– Midway
- Echoes of Christmas Live Nativity– Salt Lake City- SUSPENDED THIS YEAR, but back in 2018
- The Live Nativity– Alpine
COST MONEY
- Christmas in the Canyon Live Nativity at Tuacahn– St. George- $2 or $15 per family
Santa
FREE
- Santa’s Arrival at Station Park- 6:30pm – Free (photos extra)
- Paws and Claus Holiday Photos– Farmington Station Park
- Santa arrives in Riverton – Riverton
- Santa Parade– Tooele
- Farmington City Santa Photos– Farmington- (free to residents, reservations required)
- Bowman’s Santa– Kaysville- FREE
- See Santa in Midway– Midway
COST MONEY
- Breakfast with Santa– Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City
- Tea with Santa– Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City
- Supper with Santa– Hyatt in Farmington – $250-includes hotel stay
- Santa at City Creek– Salt Lake City
- Santa at Station Park- Farmington
Service Opportunities
- Sub For Santa– United Way of Utah County
- The Road Home– collects items for the homeless including socks, hats, mittens, and other seasonal items. More info here.
- Primary Children’s Medical Center– collects bubbles, fingernail polish, matchbox cars and other items for children
- Ronald McDonald House – cook a meal for families with children who are terminally ill or sick at PCMC , volunteer , or donate items
- Sweet & Simple 12 Days of Christmas– spread some cheer with this easy 12 Days of Christmas
Sledding + Skiing
- Snow Basin
- Snowbird
- Park City Mountain Resort
- Deer Valley
- Brighton
Advent Sundays 2019
If you’re not familiar with the Advent Sunday tradition (that will help you to slow down this season!), read about it here and get ideas on how to start this with your family.
- December 1- 1st Advent
- December 8- 2nd Advent
- December 15- 3rd Advent
- December 22- 4th Advent
Other
FREE
- Jingle Bus
- Gingerbread House Contest– South Jordan- entries due the 17th, on display until the 1st.
- Christmas Classics Movie Series– West Jordan (held each Monday)
- Swiss Christmas and Cottages for the Children– Heber
- Helping our Heroes Holiday Market– Layton
COST MONEY
- Jingle Bell 5k– Salt Lake City
- Christmas Eve Brunch Buffet at the Grand– Salt Lake City
Just for Kids
- Grand America giant gingerbread house- indoors and free- Salt Lake City
- Candy windows at Macy’s- Salt Lake City
We hope you enjoy all the Utah Christmas Activities! Leave a comment if you know of any other festive Christmas activities we can add to the list!
2 comments
Have you heard of the The Salt Lake Children’s Choir at Christmas? It is a free event at The Cathedral of the Madeleine and just amazing! for details, here’s the website:
https://childrensing.org/
Thank you so much! I’ll add this to the list!