diff --git a/calendra/generate/__init__.py b/calendra/generate/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/calendra/generate/ics.py b/calendra/generate/ics.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a8b70aa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/calendra/generate/ics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+
+"""output a ICS file for holidays in a given region"""
+
+import argparse
+from datetime import date
+import logging
+import os
+import os.path
+
+from ..registry import registry
+
+
+args = argparse.Namespace(subregions=True)
+
+
+def get_region_keys():
+    """convert get_calendars into a generator so our usage reflects the --subregions argument"""
+    yield from registry.get_calendars(include_subregions=args.subregions).keys()
+
+
+def main():
+    logging.basicConfig(level="INFO", format="%(levelname)s: %(message)s")
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
+    group.add_argument(
+        "-r",
+        "--region-code",
+        choices=get_region_keys(),
+        metavar="REGION",
+        help="output holidays calendar for REGION to stdout",
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--all-regions",
+        action="store_true",
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--list", action="store_true", help="list all available region codes"
+    )
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--directory",
+        "-d",
+        help="store generated calendars in DIRECTORY, default: %(default)s",
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--file",
+        "-f",
+        dest="path",
+        type=argparse.FileType('w'),
+        help="store generated calendars in FILE, default: standard output",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--subregions",
+        default=args.subregions,
+        action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction,
+        help="include ISO 3166-2 subregions, default is ISO 3166-1 countries",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--start-year",
+        help="start year, default: %(default)s",
+        default=date.today().year,
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--end-year",
+        help="end year (inclusive), default: %(default)s",
+        default=date.today().year,
+    )
+    parser.parse_args(namespace=args)
+
+    all_regions = registry.get_calendars(include_subregions=args.subregions)
+    if args.list:
+        for l, c in sorted(all_regions.items()):
+            print(l, c.name)
+        return
+
+    if args.region_code:
+        regions = { args.region_code: all_regions[args.region_code] }
+    else:
+        assert args.all_regions, "logic error: we *are* doing all regions here"
+        regions = all_regions
+
+    if args.directory:
+        os.makedirs(args.directory, exist_ok=True)
+
+    for region, cal in regions.items():
+        try:
+            ical_blob = cal().export_to_ical(period=[args.start_year, args.end_year])
+        except Exception as e:
+            logging.warning("failed to generate calendar for region %s: %s", region, e)
+            continue
+        if args.directory:
+            with open(os.path.join(args.directory, region + ".ics"), "w") as fp:
+                print(ical_blob, file=fp)
+        else:
+            print(ical_blob, file=args.path)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()