49 Exciting Ways To Enjoy Christmas in Toronto (2024 Guide)

To truly experience this gorgeous city I call home you have to experience a Toronto Christmas. Despite the incredible cold, and believe me it is very cold, the city comes alive with markets, colours and decorations. There’s plenty to see and do across the entire city (and outside of it!) and celebrations start as early as November. To make it a little bit easier I’ve put together this guide on how best to celebrate Christmas in Toronto with details on all the individual events going on around the city as well as all the places to see the best Christmas lights in Toronto.

I’ve seen comments saying Toronto isn’t a good Christmas spot and we don’t have the right spirit which I mean is obviously wrong. I’ve put together a massive guide to dispute that but to make it a little easier to get through I’ve grouped them into markets, light events, food and drink events and then other events so you can easier find what you’re interested in looking for. Markets will refer to those big events where you can shop, enjoy decorations and grab some food and drinks versus light events where there’s just really decorations for you to take in. There’s a smaller dedicated category for the decorated window events around the city as well.

While this post specifically focuses on Christmas in Toronto, you can always enjoy other things to do in Toronto in the winter or take a day trip to one of the many Ontario Christmas markets the province has to offer!

I’m a stickler for posts labelled Toronto actually being about events in Toronto so you’re not going to find Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, Markham, Richmond Hill or Mississauga on this list but of course they’re very close to Toronto and will all have a number of their own Christmas events and lights to explore. Similarly, I know Wonderland hosts a great Winterfest but Wonderland is technically in Vaughan and so won’t be making this list (but it’s a very cute event and if you can afford it it’s worth checking out!)

Markets

Bloor West Village Arts and Crafts Show

2024 Event Details: November 9, 2024 between 9 am and 3 pm at Runnymede United Church located at 432 Runnymede Road

This is the 41st edition of the event. Admission is $4 and children under 12 are free.  There will be 7 rooms of crafts and one of the rooms this year will include gingerbread house decorating!

Toronto Zoo Holiday Market Place

2024 Event Details: November 16 and 17, 2024 between 11 am and 4 pm at the Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo Holiday Market Place is an indoor/outdoor marketplace that takes place at the Zoo. You do need to pay admission to the zoo but the market would then be free to visit. The market showcases 40 different vendors from the local and surrounding areas. The market place is within the discovery zone which is the area closest to the entrance.

KIND Winter Fair

2024 Event Details: November 25 and 26, 2024 between 4 and 10 pm at the Grand Bizarre at Exhibition Place

This is a strictly 19+ adult event and while it doesn’t really follow the Christmas theme, it does come up when you’re searching for Christmas markets in Toronto so I’m including it on this list for awareness. It’s essentially a weed market of 30+ vendors hence the adult tag. If you want more information and to check out ticket prices you can do so here.

SWEA Swedish Christmas Market

2024 Event Details: Saturday November 23, 2024 between 11 am and 5 pm and Sunday November 24, 2024 between 11 am and 4 pm. Both days take place at the George Brown Waterfront Campus located at 51 Dockside Drive.

The SWEA Swedish Christmas Market is run by the Swedish Women’s Educational Association. In the past it’s been at the Harbourfront Centre but for 2024 they’re changing up the location. It’s been running since 1982 so it’s been on for a long time. Given my upbringing in Sweden, I have a fondness for this particular Christmas Market and try to visit every year.

The big sell of the market is the large amount of Swedish food and goods they bring in. They now allow you to pre-order the items and then pick them up on the day of the market. Details on that here. There is also a Swedish food cafe during the market, performances from Swedish Folk Dancers and Choir as well as a Lucia procession. The procession is a traditional Swedish holiday typically celebrated on December 13th where children dress up as various Christmas characters (including Lucia) and sing traditional Swedish Christmas carols.

Toronto’s First Post Office Snowy Pop-Up Paper Fair

2024 Event Details: November 29-December 1, 2024 at Toronto’s First Post Office located at 260 Adelaide Street East. All 3 days run between 10 am and 4 pm.

The event is free to attend and you can RSVP here for a free ticket. They give you the option of a VIP ticket for $10 which gives you a swag bag and the ability to skip lines if there are any. As the name indicates this is a paper and stationery focused event so if you’ve got any journal loving or writers on your list then this is definitely the event for you.

Toronto Botanical Garden Holiday Market

2024 Event Details: November 22-24 and December 13-15, 2024 at Toronto Botanical Garden. Fridays between 2 and 6 pm. Saturdays and Sundays between 10 am and 4 pm.

Admission to the Toronto Botanical Garden Holiday Market is free. There will be over 60 local vendors showcasing their goods and the garden shop will have special holiday items. There will be food trucks on-site and an outdoor fire you can purchase s’mores kits for. There will also be live music and demos. You can check out the schedule for that here. There’s also going to be selfie stations, winter workshops and so much more.

Leslieville Christmas Pop-Up Market

2024 Event Details: December 6, 2024 between 5 and 9 pm. December 7 and 8, 2024 between 11 am and 6 pm at Artists Play at 388 Carlaw Avenue, Unit 207.

The Leslieville Market is free to attend but they’d like you to RSVP your attendance which can be done here for December 6 and here for December 7/8.

50+ vendors will be at the market showcasing their handmade products. Santa will also be on-site so kids will be able to enjoy that. There’s a complimentary hot chocolate bar and a holiday dog costume contest. There are holiday workshops that you’ll be able to RSVP for as well.  There will be holiday-themed food and drink from local vendors as well as a DJ playing the best of the 90s hits.

The market is accepting donations for Second Harvest so you can bring a monetary or food donation to support the cause.

The Great Hall Holiday Artisan Market

2024 Event Details: December 8, 2024 between 11 am and 5 pm at the Great Hall located at 1087 Queen Street West

The Holiday Artisan Market is free to attend and is a great place to pick up locally made unique gifts for all your loved ones.

Riverside Holiday Market

2024 Event Details: November 24, 2024 between 10 am and 4 pm at Riverside Common Park

The event has a number of local vendors selling goods. There is free hot chocolate as well as free holiday cupcake decorating and crafts for kids. There will also be a DJ playing music as well as a dance performance from Danforth Dance Arts (specifically from 12pm-2:20pm).

This is a free event but looks like they want you to RSVP if attending.

We Love Willowdale Christmas Market

2024 Event Details: November 30, 2024 between 2 and 8 pm at Mel Lastman Square

This is the 4th annual We Love Willowdale Event. The event consists of 50+ vendors and small businesses selling their goods. There are also food trucks present (including a Beaver Tails one!), live entertainment, a photobooth and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

The Mel Lastman Square Christmas Tree gets turned on during this event and it’ll happen around 6:30 pm.

While the event is free to attend, there is a recommended donation of $5 or a non-perishable food item which will go towards NeighbourLink’s local food bank.

Hogtown Flea Holiday Market

2024 Event Details: November 10, 2024 and December 14-15, 2024 at Enoch Turner Schoolhouse located at 106 Trinity Street. Between 12 and 6 pm on November 10th and between 12 and 5 pm on December 14th and 15th.

The event is a great showcase of local handmade good and vintage goods and is a great opportunity to pick up some Christmas gifts. You’ll be able to find a good selection of “vintage homewares, books and vinyl, handmade jewelry, ceramics/glassware, bath, body, and pantry goods”. Admission appears to be free for this one. In the past there’s been a photobooth, a mini outdoor winter village, music and more so stay tuned on if that’s the case again this year.

Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Pop-Up

2024 Event Details: December 1, 2024 between 12 and 5 pm at The Great Hall at 1087 Queen Street West

Toronto Art Crawl hosts a number of different events every year and this is their Christmas edition. The 2024 event will be their 10th annual one. The event is free to attend and you can get your free tickets here. There will be 100+ vendors selling art, jewelry, home decor, skin care and so much more. There will also be food vendors and a DJ playing music.

One Of A Kind Show

2024 Event Details: November 21-December 1, 2024 at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place

The One Of A Kind Show has been operating since 1975 and they run two editions every year, one is in the spring and one is in the winter. Their main purpose is to highlight crafts and those making them. It is a ticketed event but if you purchase a ticket it allows you to re-enter for other days during the duration of the event which gives you plenty of opportunity to enjoy all aspects of the market like the shopping, the main stage programming, a lounge and so much more.

Holiday at the Well

2024 Event Details: November 13 to December 31, 2024 on Wednesdays-Sundays

Holiday at the Well takes place at the shopping center. There’s a vendor village with 8 small businesses selling their goods. There is also holiday workshops, skating, musical performances, an immersive stardust bridge and a tree market. There is an outdoor lounge with seating and fire where you can cozy up and enjoy a holiday-inspired cocktail. There’s also the NORDIC Bar hosted by Absolut where you can enjoy a holiday cocktail. The event is free to attend.

Winter Glow at Sankofa Square

2024 Event Details: December 5-22, 2024. Monday to Friday between 4 and 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday between 12 and 10 pm.

In addition to the great decor they put on at Sankofa Square there will be some carnival rides like a Ferris Wheel, tea cups and a carousel. The rides will required paid tickets to ride them.  There will be midway games and carniveal treats like mini donuts and hot chocolate. There will be a tree of remembrance that you can donate money to get a ribbon on. There will be live music and entertainment as well and you can check out the events calendar here. Admission to the actual event at the square is free but all the additional activities will cost.

Holiday Hills Market

2024 Event Details: November 15 to December 29, 2024 at STACKT Market

The Holiday Hills Market is a free event taking place at the STACKT Market. It runs from 12 pm to 11 pm every day except Mondays when it’s close. There will be over 100 local vendors and international brands to shop from. There are over 20 entertainment events and lots of decor to enjoy as well as some great places to get food from. There’s going to be a 100-foot tunnel with a backgrop of the CN Tower in addition to other photo ops. There will also be a gaming zone with curling lanes, fire pits, s’mores huts and interactive brand huts.  New this year, they’re adding something called “The After Dark Series” which will take place from 8 pm to 11 pm. You’ll be able to take part in late night food and drinks from their Speakeasy Whiskey Bar.

HER Holiday Market

2024 Event Details: November 23 and 24, 2024 between 12 pm and 6 pm at STACKT Market

The HER Holiday Market takes place at STACKT but is for a 2 day period only and specifically focuses on showcasing 30+ female owned businesses. It’s a great chance to support women in business while checking out the market.

The Winter Market at Evergreen Brickworks

2024 Event Details: December 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 2024 between 11 am and 5 pm at Evergreen Brickworks

There will be 60+ different vendors from the Ontario Artisan Market and the Ontario Vintage market selling vintage clothing, art and so much more. There will be a food court and food trucks selling food and drinks. There will be light decorations, children’s activities, a winter garden and more.

While the event is free, they are doing a “pay what you can” initiative and are suggesting a donation of $5. This would be put back into the site and programming like the free skating.

Weston Winterfest

2024 Event Details: December 6-8, 2024 at Artscape Weston Common located at 34 John Street. Friday between 3 and 7 pm. Saturday and Sunday between 12 and 6 pm. 

There will be live entertainment, games, food and craft workshops. Vendors are still being announced but there should be indoor and outdoor vendors. There’s supposed to be ice sculptures as well! Based on their instagram the current workshops will be “Decorate cupcakes with Yumalmalish Treats, learn origami with Isabel and try clay scultpting with Little Canvas Studio”. The workshops have limited space so make sure to sign up on the website if interested. In the past they’ve had trees available for purchase.

Holiday Fair in the Square

2024 Event Details: December 6-23, 2024 at Mel Lastman Square

The event in Mel Lastman Square will include an artisan market, a Polar Point bar, fireside lounge, Santa’s Village, food trucks and photo ops. It’s a free event but they encourage donations to Epilepsy Toronto.

This was previously in Nathan Phillips Square but moved to Mel Lastman Square a couple of years ago. The below pictures are from when it was hosted in Nathan Phillips Square.

Winter Fest Toronto

2024 Event Details: November 29, 2024 to January 5, 2025 at Harbourfront Centre. 

Winter Fest Toronto is a brand new holiday event coming to the Harbourfront Centre. The event will be free to visit and will run on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Fridays it’s open between 6 pm and 10 pm. Saturdays it’s open between 12 pm and 10 pm. Sundays it’s open between 12 pm and 8 pm. The event will feature an indoor and outdoor market, light decorations, marshmallow fire pits, a mulled wine bar, food stalls, ice skating and more.

Union Winter

2024 Event Details: November 28, 2024 to February 2, 2024 at Union Station

Union Winter is back at Union Station. This year there will be roller skating, a DJ, food and shopping. The schedule of the live performances (both musical and DJ at the rink) can be found here. There’s a kiosk inside the station that will have different vendors giving out free samples. The schedule for that can be found here.

The highlight of Union Winter is definitely the roller skate rink. It’s a free event you can attend and the skate rentals are free but you will need to register ahead here.

Visit the Toronto Distillery Christmas Market

2024 Event Details:
Dates: November 23, 2024 to January 5, 2025
Hours: Sunday-Thursday between 10 am and 9 pm and Friday/Saturdays between 10 am and 10 pm. The hours are reduced on the holidays (Christmas Eve and Boxing Day). On New Year’s Eve they’ll be running a special event and will be open until midnight.

The Distillery District Christmas Market is pretty much the go to Christmas event in Toronto. It’s a really popular event and is pretty much how you picture all those European Christmas Markets. There’s tons of shopping options, incredible amounts of food and drink and of course tons of gorgeous decorations! The decorations change from year to year but you can always count on something great to see.

If you’re able to visit on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the market is free. On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays it’s free until 4 pm but you’ll have to pay admission after that. Tickets can be purchased here.

Light Events & Decorations

SickKids Sweater of Lights

2024 Event Details: The sweater is already up for the season at the main entrance of SickKids located at 555 University Avenue

The Sweater of Lights was a huge light installation that was donated by Ryan Reynolds to the hospital. It’s in the shape of a Christmas sweater and in the top corner there is a tag that reads “To SickKids From Ryan Reynolds”. Ryan Reynolds has supported the hospital for a long time but in 2020 this 20-feet tall light installation was created to support it even more. Donations made for this campaign will be matched by Samsung Canada until Christmas Eve.

There aren’t any official start and end dates for this season but it’s run until midnight on Christmas Eve in the past.

Bloor-Yorkville Holiday Magic

2024 Event Details: Lights will be turned on on November 23, 2024 and stay on until December 31, 2024

Every Christmas Bloor-Yorkville lights up many of their trees and installs other light decorations throughout their neighborhood and this year is no exception. They’ll also be lighting up 60 benches to look like campfires. They can be found along Bloor Street West between Church Street and Avenue Road.

Snowflake Walk at High Park

2024 Event Details: December 15, 2024 between 5 and 8 pm at High Park Zoo

The Snowflake Walk at High Park is a guided walk around the park to take in all the decorated trees. There is a charge of $10 per family for this walk. Tickets can be purchased here. In previous years, the trees have stayed up for about a month so you can of course always come and explore the park and the decorated trees on your own as well.

Brookfield Place Decorations

2024 Event Details: TBD

I haven’t been able to find any information on the Brookfield Place decorations this year but they normally do decorate really nicely with lights and if you’re in the area it’s worth a quick stop to take them all in.

Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Phillips Square

2024 Event Details: Opening night is on November 30, 2024 between 5 and 10 pm. The tree lighting ceremony will be at 6:40 pm. The whole event runs between November 30, 2024 and January 7, 2025.

The City of Toronto kicks off the holiday season annually with a huge show that normally takes place on the last weekend in November. There’s lots going on during the opening night including live music performances, a party on the skating rink, fireworks and the lighting of the giant Christmas tree (which is obviously the highlight). You can check out the schedule of events on the official website over here. The Christmas tree is absolutely giant and in the past has been decorated with over 525,000 lights and 700 ornaments. There are other light installations in the square so even if you can’t make it for opening night it’s worth stopping by to check it out regardless!

Illuminarium: Winterland

2024 Event Details: The Winterland event is currently running with no end date at the Distillery District

Illuminarium is a light show event located in the Distillery District. They have 3 exhibitions going on but the one that’ll accomplish your Christmas event wishes is the Winterland event. It’s an immersive experience that’s meant to simulate the North Pole with snowy hills, cabins reindeers and other festive elements. There are interactive photo booths and lots more to enjoy.

You can look at ticket packages here. Do note if you visit during the Distillery Christmas Market and you visit at night when a ticket is required for the market, you’ll need a ticket to the market in order to access the Illuminarium. They do sell combo tickets so take a look at what would make the most sense for you.

Enjoy the tallest Christmas Tree in Canada at the Toronto Eaton Centre

2024 Event Details: November 13-December 31, 2024 at the Toronto Eaton Center

The Toronto Eaton Centre is also getting in on the fun and will be hosting Canada’s largest Christmas tree again as part of their Winterville Celebration. It’s over 100 feet tall and is as high as the third story of the mall. You’ll be able to see the lights all across the mall, that’s how gigantic this thing is. My tip is to go right after the mall has closed and the crowds have died down. So much easier to get nice pictures! The mall also has some other giant decorations which are definitely worth a look or two (or a hundred).

There will be daily Tree Light shows and Snow Shows. You can see the schedule for those here.

Christmas at the Castle and Holiday Lights at Casa Loma

2024 Event Details: Christmas at the Castle runs between December 5, 2024 and January 4, 2025 between 9:30 am and 5 pm. Holiday Lights runs between December 1, 2024 and January 4, 2025 after 5:30 pm.

Casa Loma turns into a magical winter wonderland just in time for Christmas. There are both nighttime and daytime events depending on your schedule and preference. The castle is putting on a fantastic light show in the gardens, performances, Santa himself and some food options as well. Plus if you’ve never been you get to explore Toronto’s only castle!

The daytime event is the Christmas at the Castle event while the evening event is the Holiday Lights at Casa Loma. The daytime event includes touring the castle and it’s decorations and participating in craft events while the night even is all about the light decorations around the castle. You can find more scheduling details and ticket costs here. The website indicates you can purchase tickets separately but the checkout screen doesn’t seem to allow for this currently.

Food & Drink Events

Christmas Afternoon Teas

Toronto’s got a great selection of high teas and I will one day get around to posting a round up on some of my favorite ones but that’s not the main point here. A few of the high tea places will do a specific Christmas one and there’s nothing like a cup of hot tea to get you into the holiday spirit. Below are some of the options for Christmas afternoon teas in Toronto but it’s most definitely not an exhaustive list.

The Old Mill has a Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea that runs from November 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025 at 3 and 3:15 pm. The cost is $70 + HST per adult and $30 + HST per child. The menu can be found here and further details on the event here.

The Fairmont Royal York has a holiday tea served in their CLOCKWORK Lounge that runs between November 16 and December 29, 2024. It runs on Saturdays and Sundays with three seatings at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. Menu can be viewed here and it does appear that the different seatings have slightly different menus so do look into it before booking. The 11 am prelude is the cheapest of the 3 and it’s $95 + HST per person.

The Windsor Arms has a holiday afternoon tea running between December 1 and 31, 2024. The cost is $95 + HST per person. You can review the menu and details here.

EPOCH Bar & Kitchen in the Ritz-Carlton has a holiday afternoon tea. I can’t see any details on when it ends but it is running right now and costs $80 per person + HST. They do require a reservation. You can review details and menu here.

The King Edward Omni Hotel offers a Nutcracker afternoon tea. It runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between November 29, 2024 and January 12, 2025. The cost is $79 + HST per person. The menu can be viewed here.

The Shangri-La Hotel also offers a Nutcracker afternoon tea that runs between November 14, 2024 and December 29, 2024. It runs between Thursdays and Sundays and costs $108 + HST per person. The menu can be found here.

Try a fondue

While fondues are a Christmas dish in Switzerland and perhaps not elsewhere, it does make for a great winter activity since it’s a warm dish and can be enjoyed during these cold nights. Toronto’s got a few different options for you if you’re interested in trying this.

The Four Seasons Hotel has fondue nights every Tuesday in December and January at 4 pm. It’s $65 + HST per person and appears to be a minimum 2 person booking. The board includes French baguettes, artisanal cheese, brussel sprouts and house-made charcuterie.

Wvrst has a permanent cheese fondue on their menu. It’s a raclette and smoked gouda fondue accompanied by fresh pretzels, baguettes, mini potatoes and more. The basic fondue is $44 and serves 2-4 people but they have a pretty big list of add-ons (for additional costs) like sausages, truffle paste, charcuterie and more). They’ve got two different locations and both offer fondue happy hour daily between 2-5 pm which gives you $10 off the fondue base price.

Le Swan has a fondue listed on their menu that’s offered between 5 and 10 pm but they don’t have a price on the menu so can’t confirm that unfortunately.

Bar Piquette offers a cheese fondue. They don’t have an official menu on their website but they’re posting about it on their Instagram so it’s definitely available right now. No price information as far as I can see right now either.

Carens offers a fondue on both their lunch and dinner menu. They have 2 kinds that both serve 2-4 people. The classic fondue for $30 is emmental, gruyère, white wine, garlic, kirsh served with crusty baguette. The blue & brie fondue for $32 is blue and brie cheeses and served with walmut raisin bread. They’ve got the option for add-ons like steak, potatoes, apples, pears and other options.

KOST does a chalet experience at their restaurant in the winter and they’re running it again this year. It started on November 18, 2024. I don’t see an end-date currently. As part of the chalet experience they offer a cheese fondue for 2. It’ll cost $48 and includes rustic bread, apples, grapes, broccoli, potatoes and cornichon.

Have a drink at one of the many Christmas Bars

Toronto has a fabulous bar scene and it should come as no surprise that there are Christmas pop-up ones as well. The below is definitely not an exhaustive list but a great place to start if you want to celebrate Christmas in Toronto with a great drink. Toronto loves a good lineup and if you want to try any of the below I would highly recommend just making a reservation or trying for a walk-in on a weekday early evening.

One of the most known ones is definitely Miracle. It opened for the season on November 15, 2024 and is open Monday-Friday between 5 pm and 2 am and Saturday and Sunday between 2 pm and 2 am. The bar is located at 875 Bloor Street West.

Project Gigglewater is located at 1369 Dundas Street West. I don’t see any start and end dates for their Christmas bar but it’s currently on. They’re open Sunday-Thursday between 6 pm and 1 am and Thursday to Saturday between 6 pm and 2 am.

The Thirsty Elf is an annual pop up Christmas Bar located inside the Fairmont Royal York. This year it starts on November 22, 2024 and will run until December 22, 2024. They’re open Thursday through Saturday between 5 and 10 pm. They don’t take reservations so you’ll have to walk-in for this one.

NORDIC by BarChef is a holiday bar pop-up at the Well located at 437 Wellington Street West. It’s being sponsored by ABSOLUT Vodka. The pop-up is open November 13 to December 22, 2024. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday. Wednesday/Thursday is between 4 pm and 12 am. Fridays are between 4 pm and 1 am. Saturdays are between 2 pm and 1 am. Sundays are between 2 pm and 12 am.

Papi Chulo’s Mistletoes & Margaritas is located at 121 Ossington Avenue. They’re open 7 days a week as of 12 pm and stay open until late. They are walk-in only and we tried to visit on a Saturday evening but the lineup was out the door so we skipped it but will be trying again at a later date! They started the pop-up on October 28, 2024 but I don’t seen an official end date yet.

Java Jingle is the Christmas pop-up hosted by the Little Sister restaurant. They’ve got two locations: 102 Portland Street and 2031 Yonge Street. The event started on November 16, 2024 and will be running to December 31, 2024. Both locations are open 7 days a week starting at 5 pm. The closing hours vary by location and day but are usually between 9:30 and 11 pm.

Ginger’s Cocktail Bar is open for the season between November 15 and December 24, 2024. It runs between 6 pm and 12 am Wednesdays through Saturdays. The reservation includes a $5 fee which is a donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto.

Tinseltown Bar is a pop-up hosted at the Novotel Toronto Centre which is located at 45 The Esplanade. It runs from December 1-30, 2024. It’s open Wednesday-Friday between 5 and 11 pm and Saturdays and Sundays between 11 am and 11 pm. They’re a ticketed event which currently costs $15. It includes admission as well as one drink on arrival.

Speakeasy Whiskey Bar can be found at the STACKT Market located at 28 Bathurst Street. The bar can be found on the west patio. It’s part of their holiday programming so should be running during the same dates (November 15 to December 29, 2024). It’s open Tuesday-Friday between 4 and 11 pm and Saturday and Sunday between 12 and 11 pm.

Christmas Buffets, Brunches, Lunches and Dinners

Let’s be honest, cooking a Christmas lunch or dinner is a lot of work so if there’s an option to have somebody else do it for you and you can afford to pay for it, why not? The below is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s just the ones I saw advertised and is a combination of a la carte meals and buffets.

One King West hosts a Brunch Buffet with Santa on December 8, 2024. It’s a one-day only event. It’s $84 + HST per person. You can view the menu here.

The Old Mill runs both a brunch buffet and a dinner buffet. The festive buffet runs from November 23, 2024 to January 5, 2025 but on select dates and a Christmas specific buffet runs on December 24, 25 and 26, 2024. It appears to cost $60 + HST for adults for either option but take a look at their event page for specific date information and menus.

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel also offers a couple of different choices at REIGN. The Christmas Dinner is a 3-course holiday dinner offered on December 24 and 25, 2024. The cost is $125 + HST per person. They’ve also got a Christmas Day brunch offered on December 25, 2024 between 11:30 am and 3 pm. It’s $110 + HST per person. They also offer a holiday lunch buffet on weekdays between December 4 and 13, 2024 and between 12 and 2 pm. The cost is $72 + HST per person. They require reservations for all 3 of their events.

The Four Seasons Hotel offers a festive dinner at Café Boulud on December 24, 25 and 26, 2024 between 5 and 10 pm. It’s a 3-course dinner that costs $155 + HST per person. You can find the menu here under the festive heading. They also of

Frenchy Bar et Brasserie at Hilton Toronto is offering a Christmas lunch and dinner on December 25, 2024. The cost is $85 + HST per person. You can view the menu here.

The King Edward Omni Hotel has a festive brunch on December 8, 15 and 22, 2024 between 10:30 am and 3 pm. It’s 120 + HST per person. They offer a Christmas Eve buffet on December 24, 2024 between 5 and 10 pm. The cost is $155 + HST per person. They offer a Christmas Day Brunch on December 24, 2024 between 10:30 am and 3 pm. The cost is $145 + HST per person. Finally, they also offer a Christmas Day dinner buffet on December 25, 2024 between 5 and 10 pm. It costs $165 + HST per person. You can see further details on all of their events here.

Window Decorations

Queen East Winter Windows Exhibition

2024 Event Details: Begins on November 23, 2024 during the Riverside Holiday Market and runs until December 31, 2024

The Queen East Winter Windows Exhibition officially begins during the Riverside Holiday Market. 45+ businesses are participating along Queen Street East so make sure to stop by and check some of them out. An online map of the store fronts will launch on November 23, 2024 and once you’ve visited you can vote for your favorite window. The contest closes on December 13, 2024 and winners are announced on December 14, 2024 but the windows will stay up until December 31, 2024 for you to enjoy.

The Junction Window Wonderland

2024 Event Details: November 29, 2024 to January 31, 2025

This is the 5th annual event being run in the Junction. The event involves 20 AR window installations in addition to 10 murals. They’ve all been designed by local and international artists. You’ll need to download the Artivive app to take in the AR window installations. The installations can be found along, and of, Dundas Street West between Quebec Avenue and Indian Grove. You can see a map of the installations here.

Take in the Window Displays of Hudson Bay and Saks by the Eaton Centre

Hudson Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue at the Eaton Centre are putting on a show with their holiday window displays. The displays will be on showcase all season long. They’re usually fun for all ages so it’s something great to take the entire family to and a quick and easy stop if you’re already exploring in the area.

Other Events

The Santa Claus Parade

2024 Event Details: Sunday November 24th at 12:30PM. Starts at Christie Pits and ends at St. Lawrence Market.

One of the easiest ways to tell that Christmas is starting to hit Toronto is when the annual Santa Claus Parade comes around. It’s been running for over 100 years since its start in 1905. It usually takes place in mid-November. It’s an epic parade that takes about 2.5 hours in total to go past you if you’re standing in the same spot. It starts at Christie Pits and ends at St. Lawrence Market. It covers large portions of Toronto’s downtown core so there are plenty of places to catch the parade at. Do keep in mind that the streets fill up really fast so you should reserve your spot early (which you can really only do by standing there).

Dress up warmly because it does get chilly! There will be some street vendors around selling cotton candy and popcorn for the kids. I recommend grabbing some coffee, tea or hot chocolate before claiming your spot! If you’re really eager you can park yourself down bright and early with some beach chairs (which a surprising number of people do). If all else fails you can of course just watch it online. It’ll be live streamed on Youtube. To check out the map and route of the parade click here.

Catch a glimpse of the CPKC Holiday Train

2024 Event Details: November 29, 2024 between 8:30 and 9 pm at 750 Runnymede Road

The Canadian Pacific Holiday travels across Canada and the US in November and October of every year to raise money, food and awareness for local food banks and there’s many stops for people to check out and enjoy the train. You have the option to see it drive by if you can’t make it to any individual stops but at the stops there will usually be some live performances. The route changes every year to accommodate as many stops as they can but you can check out the 2024 schedule here.

Coca-Cola Caravan

2024 Event Details:
The Toronto Zoo on November 30, 2024 between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm
Centennial College (Markham Road and 401) on December 3, 2024 between 2 and 4 pm
Holiday Fair in the Square (Mel Lastman Square) on December 7, 2024 between 12 and 10 pm

The Coca-Cola Caravan is travelling across Canada with over 100 stops in different cities and 60 of those stops being in Ontario. The Caravan starts driving as of November 14, 2024 (from Halifax) and ends on December 22, 2024 (in Vancouver). The caravan is a free event to attend but they do encourage donations. You’ll be able to take a picture with Santa and the truck at the event.

Black Creek Pioneer Village

2024 Event Details: Events start from November 24, 2024 and run until December 23, 2024

Black Creek Pioneer Village in the west end of Toronto is a great way to spend a full day exploring what Christmas was like in the past. The site has tons of buildings staged and set in the 1800s. Their events run from mid-November all the way up until right before Christmas. The traditional events include everything from roasting chestnuts to trimming trees to Christmas carols. There’s also special story times with Santa and opportunities for kids to make their own crafts. There’s also a great evening event called Christmas by Lamplight that involves dressing up and experiencing a fancier side of Christmas! If you’re more of an eater you can also check out their Festive Dinners which look absolutely tasty. To get more information check out their official site here.

Allan Gardens Conservatory Winter Floral Show

2024 Event Details: December 2, 2024 to January 9, 2025 at Allan Gardens Conservatory located at 19 Horticultural Avenue. Open during regular hours (10 am to 5 pm Monday-Sunday). 

Do note, the conservatory is currently under construction so the Palm House portion of the building as well as the indoor bathrooms are unavailable. This is current as of November 2024. It’s projected to end February 2025 but I take all Toronto construction timelines with a grain of salt. Their phone line advises that this will make the seasonal show lightly smaller this year.

Visit the Fairmont Royal York Hotel

2024 Event Details: Begins November 20, 2024 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel really does go all out for it’s Christmas celebrating. As mentioned above, they have a Christmas bar, put on a Christmas afternoon tea and host a Christmas Dinner but that’s not all. Starting November 20, 2024 the hotel kicks off their festive season with Santa, carolers, their Christmas window display and their annual tree lighting ceremony. You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to walk in and take a look at their decorations. It’s usually really well done every year so make sure to stop by if you’re in the area!

Gardiner Museum 12 Trees Exhibit

2024 Event Details: Runs from November 12 to December 14, 2024 and this year’s theme is Toronto Neighborhoods.

The 12 Trees of Christmas Exhibit is put on by the Gardiner Museum every year. The exhibit runs from mid-November to the first week of January and features the work of Canadian artists and designers. They don’t appear to have an event page up for this year’s event yet but you can check out information on their hours and admissions here.

Watch the Nutcracker

2024 Event Details: Runs December 6-31, 2024 at the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts

The Nutcracker is considered a Christmas classic and the National Ballet of Canada has been performing it for many years. They sometimes give local celebrities like Margaret Atwood and Rick Mercer walk-on roles. The show runs for 2 hours with one intermission. More details on the show times and booking tickets can be found here.

Catch a holiday show at Second City

2024 Event Details: Naughty, Nice & Undecided and Make it Reindeer are both playing in November and December 2024

Second City has two holiday themed comedy shows running this year. Tickets start at $29 dollars and there are multiple events for both shows running throughout November and December 2024. They’ve got a family friendly version of the Naught, Nice & Undecided show. Ticket prices and show times can be found here.

Shop at the Flatiron’s Christmas Market Store

The Flatiron’s Christmas Market is technically open year round but is there really a better time than Christmas to visit and pick up some decor? The shop is located at 35 Jarvis Street, close to St. Lawrence Market. I find the hours have varied a little over the years but right now it appears to be that they’re open Monday-Wednesday between 11:00 am and 4:30 pm, Thursday and Friday between 11 am and 6 pm, Saturdays between 10:30 am and 6 pm and Sundays between 12 and 4 pm. They’ve been open since 1986 so it’s a great shop to support local with!

Check out decorated houses

Some of the houses in Toronto go all out in terms of decorations and some are even known for their decor. Below is a list of some of the spots in Toronto worth checking out if you’re in that area.

Along Inglewood Drive you’ll find a huge amount of giant inflated Santas. There’s as many as 60+ some years. This has given the street the nickname Kringlewood.

The Desario Family Festival of Lights is a house located at 165 Benjamin Boake Trail. They put on the lights as a fundraiser for SickKids and have been doing it for over 20 years at this point.

226 and 228 Brenyon Way is another residential home that has become well known for their Christmas decorations. They run a Facebook page where they post updates on the decorating.

6 Somerset Avenue is another home that goes very decked out for the holidays. They do it in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They’ve taken a brief hiatus in the past but should be back to doing their lights this year. Close by you’ll also find 34 Somerset Avenue that puts on a really good show as well.

Brock Avenue in general is a well decorated street but make sure to particularly check on 188 and 262 Brock Avenue who go all out.

The house at 473 Clinton Street House which is already known for being the Wood Cake House is another really well decorated house around Christmas time.

Savage Christmas Lights is the official name of the house decked out at 1 Fletcher Place. They do this to raise money for SickKids each yeah.

The above are just some of the more well known houses but I would highly recommend grabbing a hot drink and walking around your own neighborhood to check out the lights.

And there you have it! Tons and tons of ways to celebrate Christmas in Toronto and many different ways to do it as well. Would you come to Toronto for any one of the events? Have you celebrated Christmas in Toronto ever? Let me know in the comments and pin the image to plan this Christmas!