Warm Your Heart with January Events in South Eastern Ontario

Rosanne Lake

New Year, new events! Looking for a way to connect with communities in South Eastern Ontario? Winter happenings will warm your heart while curing your cold-weather wanderlust. Find 20 events to start your year with a bang in SEO.

1. Until January 14: Alight at Night Festival Upper Canada Village

See it to believe it! Dress warmly and take an evening stroll through the festive light-filled village in Morrisburg, as more than a million lights enhance heritage buildings and scenes at Upper Canada Village. Open on select nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Witness this true winter wonderland!

2. January 1 to 24: Kingston Frontenacs
Cheer on the Kingston Frontenacs in fast-paced OHL hockey as they play on home ice six times throughout January. Catch them at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston on January 1, 3, 17, 19, 22 and 24. Go Fronts Go!

3. Throughout January: Skating at Springer Market Square in Kingston
Historic Springer Market Square is the perfect place to embrace winter, as the outdoor square turns into a public skating rink during the winter months! Lace-up to enjoy the ambiance of the vibrant downtown and skate every day in January from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., depending on the weather.

4. January 10 to 29: Belleville Senators
Exciting hockey, rabid fan support! This AHL Affiliate for the Ottawa Senators promises big games at the CAA Arena. The games are played throughout the season with home games Friday, Jan. 10 and Sunday, Jan. 12 against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins; Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25 vs. the Hershey Bears, and Wednesday, Jan. 29 against the Hartford Wolf Pack. See the full schedule and cheer on the home team!

5. January 11: Sanctuary Moonlight Ski/Snowshoe

Join in this magical night! Ski or snowshoe walk through the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary under the moonlight starting at 7 p.m. No equipment? No problem - rentals are available. Check Facebook for updates as the date approaches.

6. January 11: Road Apples - A Tribute to The Tragically Hip at the Grand Theatre
Witness Canada’s premiere tribute to The Hip bringing the beloved music to life at the Grand Theatre! Kick off the new year with a great show. This celebration of The Hip’s music spans their entire discography, so buckle up and get down.

7. January 11: DION Ignite the Night Snowshoe Race Morrisburg
This nighttime race supporting Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Family Care Fund is set to impress at Upper Canada Village. Starting at 6 p.m., this is the first event in the 2025 Dion Canadian Snowshoe Running Series sanctioned by Snowshoe Canada. A unique race in a stunning winter landscape with a backdrop of authentic heritage buildings and a postcard setting.

8. January 14: Wild Wonderful Creatures in Napanee
Join celebrated wildlife photographer Bill Bickle as he gets up close and personal with wild creatures during the first Tuesday Night at the Museum of Lennox & Addington of the new year.

9. January 17: Bruce Liu at the Isabel Bader Centre
Start the new year with brilliant live music as award-winning Bruce Liu returns to the Isabel to perform Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Prokofiev. Hailed as playing with breathtaking beauty, Liu is known as one of the most exciting talents of his generation.

10. January 18: The Mudmen at the Regent Theatre
This blast of Celtic energy is lighting up the stage at the Regent Theatre in Picton with an evening all ages show that promises to be entertaining and the talk of the town. Don’t miss it!

11. January 21: Four Women of Egypt
This enlightening and engaging special showing of the 1997 film Four Women of Egypt is both timely and timeless. Presented as part of the Tuesday Night at the Museum of Lennox and Addington series, the evening begins with enjoying the film and ends with an upbeat audience discussion.

12. January 24 and 26: Aultsville Film Festival

Cornwall’s Independent Film Festival is making a comeback for 2025! It will be lights, camera, action at Aultsville Theatre as The Aultsville Film Festival returns over three days, including an opening night reception and four film screenings direct from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

13. January 25: County Classic Bonspiel
Get ready for some fun on the ice! The third annual County Classic is a 70s Chalet Theme and will be raising money for the Back the Build campaign. No curling experience needed - but a good attitude is required. Experience a County welcome and great Canadian pastime!

14. January 25 to 26: Skate the Lake Portland (TBD)
Entirely ice-dependent, Skate the Lake in Portland has welcomed thousands of visitors and competitors since 2004 to speedskating a 1 km oval on Big Rideau Lake off the shores of Portland. Speedskaters from all over the world vie for the chance to participate in the event - and the community also skates the oval in kids' marathons and for leisure after the races. Stay tuned for updates on ice thickness and conditions to see if this year’s event is a go!

15. January 26: Song Sanctuary Gong and Frequency Experience

Get cozy by candlelight and experience a deeply relaxing and intuitively guided immersive gong/sound meditation and frequency experience! The Sound Sanctuary returns to The Andrew Picton from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Insider tip: book now as this event frequently sells out.

16. January 29: Hotel California at the Brockville Arts Centre
This is it, folks: The original tribute to The Eagles. This is the pioneering band that showed the world how good a tribute band could be and rewrote the framework of tribute productions. Hotel California has toured relentlessly since the 1980s. Catch them live in Brockville!

Ongoing adventures to make the most out of winter:

17. Batawa Ski Hill

This small hill with a big heart is in Quinte West near Trenton and offers the perfect little getaway for the family or a friend's day! In addition to regular skiing and snowboarding, look here for a super first-timers package that includes all equipment and an hour-long lesson. Play in the snow this winter!

18. Big Ben Ski Hill in Cornwall

Get skiing or snowboarding! This is the winter to learn or brush up on skills at Big Ben Ski Centre! The hill is open off of Seventh Street West, offering a wire cable lift with two handles, snowmaking, grooming and a terrain park. Night skiing is popular from Wednesday to Friday nights! Look for teen nights and lessons!