If you’re driving down the QEII between Airdrie and Calgary after Nov. 22, you might notice New Horizon Mall is embracing the holiday spirit a little early.
The west-facing entrance of the Balzac-based shopping centre will be lit up with Christmas lights that afternoon, when the mall hosts the Light up the Mall event from 4 to 6 p.m.
“It’s a free family event, and we’re going to switch on our big light switch and put on all of our indoor and outdoor light displays,” said Marketing Manager Alex Winn. “We have 5,000 outdoor lights this year, and an 18-foot indoor Christmas tree inside, so we’ll be turning on all of those.”
Along with the light displays, the event will include an indoor arts-and-crafts table for kids, a hot-chocolate station and live music. Highlights for younger attendees will be a scavenger hunt and advent calendar give-away, according to Winn.
For those who want to get a head start on holiday decorating, a company from Calgary will be at the mall selling Christmas trees brought all the way from Nova Scotia.
Winn said New Horizon Mall is excited to celebrate the holiday season. This year marks the mall’s second Christmas since it opened in May 2018, and she said a range of holiday-themed events have been planned for December.
“We just wanted to start them off with a bang – it should be a really fun event,” she said.
The next Christmas-themed shindig at New Horizon Mall will be the East Balzac Christmas Craft Market Dec. 7 and 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in partnership with Century Downs Racetrack and Casino. Also taking place Dec. 8 will be a Christmas costume contest for pets, according to Winn.
The mall will host a children’s Christmas party Dec. 14, and the seasonal events will conclude with the return of the Dueling Piano Kings Christmas Family Sing-along Dec. 21.
