19 Magical Things to Do at Christmas in Toronto (2026)

Toronto is an amazing place to experience Christmas. With its variety of unique neighbourhoods, there are a lot of fun Christmas activities of so many syles – some are old fashioned and vintage Christmas, some are cultural and others are quirky and different. Toronto as the 4th largest city in North America offers that cosmopolitan Christmas indicative of a large, multicultural city, but it has so much variety to enjoy the holidays.

I live near Toronto, and I’m in the city multiple times every year during the Christmas and the winter season. I didn’t want to keep doing the same things every year, so I decided to branch out. Toronto has many holiday events and special features around the Christmas season. Here are the things to consider adding to your calendars!

19 Magical Things to do in Toronto at Christmas

Grab your calendars to mark down the dates for these fun events between November and December in Toronto.

1. Watch the Santa Claus Parade

Date: Sunday, November 22nd, 2026
One of the first events to kick off the start of the Christmas season in Toronto is the Santa Claus parade. It’s been running since 1905 and its one of Toronto’s oldest Christmas traditions, at over 120 years old! The parade starts near the Christie Pitts (near Christie St. and Bloor St. W), and ends in Old Toronto (at Front Jarvis st, near the St, Lawrence Market.)

Since the parade distance is quite long, its not usually too hard to get a spot but I’d recommend coming to your spot a bit early if you want to be able to sit down along the edge of the road. From wherever you’re sitting along the path of the parade, it would take about 90 minutes to see the entire parade go by. Some people bring camp chairs to sit down and watch.

2. Check out the Winter Village Distillery District

Running from: November 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027
The Distillery District Winter Village (formerly Toronto Christmas Market) is one of the more popular events in the city by far, and draws people from all over Ontario. The Distillery District is a Victorian, car-free neighbourhood enclosed with walls. You can imagine how pretty it is to walk around, seeing it lit up with all the Christmas lights, trees, and pop-up holiday bars, and music.

As the old name suggests, it is basically a large Christmas market – a European-style one with wooden rooftop vendors selling handmade gifts. In recent years they’ve really started to focus on the Instagrammable photo ops. Now, I won’t sugarcoat this – the Distillery District gets absolutely packed during the Winter Village in the evenings. Especially on weekends.

However, it is very beautiful and you can see why its popular. I recommend arriving while its still light out, and staying until dark. This means its slightly less packed when you arrive, but you get to see it lit up once the sun goes down. I usually buy my tickets for a 3-4pm entrance, so I can enjoy an hour or two of daylight in the market before dark comes and its all lit up. And obviously weekdays are less busy than coming on a weekend.

If you want to visit at night when the lights are on, then I recommend reserving a ticket online in advance so that you’re guaranteed an entrance time. (You have to stand in a line if you’re buying tickets at the door – and I’ve seen the line, it can get long, especially on weekend evenings.) You can get tickets for the Distillery Winter Village at the door, or in advance on their website.

If you want to eat dinner while you’re there – Restaurants in the Distillery District do NOT take reservations; it’s a waitlist for first-come first served. The wait can be anywhere up to an hour on busy nights, so get your name in an hour or so before you want to eat. There are only a handful of restaurants inside the Distillery District, but they are good ones. We always eat at the Mill Street Brewey, because I love it there – great food and environment. Check other restaurants in the Distillery District here

3. Head to Holiday Fair in the Square

Dates: December 11th – 21st, 2026
Holiday Fair in the Square is going to be held at Sankofa Square (formerly Dundas Square) it’ll be a fair with lots of local vendors selling unique items. It may not be as pretty as the Distillery, but it’ll be more spread out and right beside the Eaton’s Centre – convenient if you want to go check out the tree and do some more Christmas shopping.

6. Check out Toronto’s tallest Christmas tree in the Eaton Centre

Dates: usually mid November to early January
The Eaton’s Centre is known for putting up the tallest Christmas tree in the city every year – the 2024 and 2025 trees were both 114-feet tall. From the entrance to the Eaton Centre at the Dundas subway station, it would probably take 5-10 minutes to walk there from the subway stop.

4. Go Ice Skating at Nathan Phillips Square

Dates: TBA
Nathan Phillip’s Square is a good place to head to all winter, but especially during the holiday season. You can skate both day and night (weather permitting) and if you come at night, then they call it the Cavalcade of Lights which means that its all lit up and festive.

The dates for the Nathan Phillip’s Square holiday events are TBA for 2026 at the time of writing this. You can check their website for the exact dates for all events by month.

5. Spend an evening at Winterfest at Canada’s Wonderland

Running from: November 15, 2025, to January 3, 2026
If you love the holiday season, and especially if you love Wonderland, then consider heading over to Winterfest which is held at Wonderland every year. The pond turns into an ice skating rink (if its cold enough) and there are holiday decorations, lights, and music everywhere. There are even some rides open.

Personally, I haven’t been to Winterfest yet (I plan to go this year) but I’ve been going to Wonderland every summer since I was young. Winterfest is a new event that just sprang up in the last few years, but it has been very popular with locals. I can’t wait to experience it.

Wonderland can be reached pretty easily from the TTC from downtown Toronto, or from staying at a hotel near the park. Tickets to Winterfest can be bought on their website here. If you head to Vaughan for Winterfest, IKEA or any other reason during the holiday season – don’t forget to check out its annual Christmas tree. You can see this tree (pictured below) from the entrance to the Vaughan subway station. It looks different every year

6. Have a holiday high tea at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Dates: December until early January

The Royal York Hotel offers Afternoon/High Tea year-round, but in the holiday season they put a Christmas spin on it. The high tea is held in their hobby lounge, which is called Clockwork, and its beautifully decorated at Christmas. This tea has been running since 1929, and its a nice old fashioned Christmas experience. The teas at Royal York are very pricy, but it might be something special to experience over the holidays.

7. See the Christmas Decorations inside of the city’s nicest hotels

Dates: mid-November until New Years

Pop into some of the nicest hotels in the city, such as the Fairmont Royal York or even the Chelsea, to enjoy cute and luxurious Christmas decorations, including garlands, cute setups and Christmas trees. You don’t have to be staying at the hotels to go inside and take a look at the decorations in the lobby.

We used to perform at the Royal York Hotel, and they just have the most upscale Christmas look every year. We now perform at the Chelsea Hotel instead, which of course, also has a beautifully decorated lobby at Christmas. Pretty much every nice hotel in downtown Toronto will.

9. Experience ‘Christmas at the Castle’ at Casa Loma

Dates: usually early December until early January

In December, Casa Loma features “Christmas at the Castle,” which means that the castle is decorated inside and out with festive decorations and has special holiday-themed activities. Both in and outside the castle are festively decorated. Lots of luxury-looking Christmas trees, cozy fireplaces with silk furniture. Like how you would picture Christmas in an old movie.

The tickets are $45 per PERSON (regardless of age) only 3 and under are free. So, something to keep in mind for families with multiple kids – it could get pricey! I haven’t celebrated Christmas at Casa Loma in ages, and plan to go this year. You can buy tickets for their Christmas at the Castle event here.

10. See The Nutcracker

Nutcracker in Toronto Dates: December 5th to 31st, 2026

The headquarters of the National Ballet of Canada are located in Toronto, and do year-round performances at the Four Seasons. One of their most popular productions is The Nutcracker which plays for three weeks every December.

The Nutcracker is actually a pretty upscale event where you will see most people dressed up in their best clothes, and ready to see the Christmas themed ballet.

It’s great for everyone of all ages. I’ve seen the Nutcracker as a date night with my husband, and also brought my oldest daughter. I’ve seen people of all ages; even families with kids as young as 4 years old.

Last time we went to see an evening performance of The Nutcracker, we decided to make a dinner reservation a night or two before at one of the restaurants nearby before the show – big mistake. The restaurants near the Hummingbird Centre fill up VERY quickly during the Nutcracker season, so if you want to eat at any of them before your evening Nutcracker performance, you should book it several days or even a week in advance. There is food on-site, but it tends to be more upper scale fast food – charcuterie boards and glasses of champagne for purchase. Tickets go on sale in September for The Nutcracker in Toronto, and you can buy them on the National Ballet website.

11. Celebrate ‘Channukah’ at Lawrence Plaza

Dates: December 4th-12th, 2026

Hannukah celebrations take place right in downtown Toronto in mid-December. Lawrence Plaza Chanukah takes place at the Lawrence Plaza, as the name suggests, which is at the corner of Bathurst st. and Lawrence ave. Its an outdoor event with music, food and candle-lighting. This year, 2026 will be the 6th annual Toronto Chanukah event, and its suitable for the whole family, and all are welcome.

12. Festive Nights at the Black Creek Pioneer Village

Dates: TBA

I love an old-fashioned Christmas, and I think most other people do too; it’s part of what makes the holidays feel like Christmas. Festive Nights is an event held at Black Creek Pioneer Village in north Toronto in December. If you enjoy old-fashioned Christmas-style activities, then you’ll love Festive Nights.

Festive Nights is a holiday event where you can explore all things vintage Christmas: roasted chestnuts, gingerbread cookies, candle dipping, puppet shoes, storytelling and even meeting Kris Kringle. While this event is probably most worth it if you’re in Toronto with kids, all age groups are welcome. Tickets for Festive Nights can be bought online on the Black Creek Pioneer website.

13. Winter Solstice in the Kensington Market

Date: December 21, 2026

The outdoor evening Winter Solstice event has been running since 1988 in the Kensington Market, Toronto’s bohemian neighbourhood. There are parades, dances, costumes and music. The festival has a spiritual, pagan vibe and an upbeat atmosphere. People of all ages, kids and adults are welcome. But it may be an event that appeals more to adults – see a short YouTube clip of what its like. Winter Solstice at the Kensington Market is held at 6pm on December 21st (the first day of winter) every year. You can find the festival at the intersection of Augusta ave and Oxford St. There are so many cafes in the Kensington Market to grab a hot drink for before or after.

14. Admire Christmas displays at The Hudson’s Bay Company

Dates: mid-November to New Years

The Bay has created a holiday tradition of creating elaborate Christmas displays in both Toronto, and New York City. Many of them involve digital backgrounds, moving parts and works of art. It’s a whole event just to walk by admiring them! You can see what the displays often look like in this YouTube video. You can find the displays on Queen and Yonge; near where the Nathan Philip’s Square (TORONTO sign) is.

 15. See a symphony of the Messiah

Dates: Usually mid-December

Whether you enjoy the religious side of Christmas or not, you may enjoy some traditional Christmas instrumental classical music. There’s no better way to enjoy this than watching a symphony. There are two orchestras in Toronto that perform the symphony of the Messiah. This Youtube video shows an example of what the show would look like, if you haven’t heard of the Handel Messiah, or seen a live orchestra before.

• Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) – Tue, Dec 17–Sun, Dec 22, 2026
• Tafelmusik, which is Baorque style – 2026 Dates are still TBA

16. Do some holiday shopping

It’s Toronto, there are lots of places to shop for unique items. Here are some unique ideas depending on what kinds of gifts you’re looking for. Whether you’re looking for high-end items, or unique Canadian gifts and souvenirs, these are some good places to shop:

• Eaton Centre (downtown)- has over 200 stores, or Yorkdale Mall (north Toronto)
• Kensington Market – lots of quirky stores, like the Blue Banana Market, where you can find unique and funny gifts. Chinatown (about a 10-minute walk from Kensington) is worth browsing
• Museum and Art Gallery gift shops (such as the ROM, Art Gallery of Ontario, Bata Shoe Museum or even Ripley’s) often have really nice, thoughtful gifts and souvenirs
• Toronto’s cutest bookstores – BMV Books or Ben McNally Books. Find some unique indy titles that take place in Canada
• Best shopping streets/areas – Queen Street, Bloor Street, Yonge Street, Danforth, Ossington, Toronto Beaches neighbourhood
• Toronto’s Best Toy Stores – Treasure Island Toys and Silly Goose Kids (both on Danforth),The Swag Sister’s Toy Store, (near Toronto Beaches)

Pro Tip: Black Friday (November 22nd) and Boxing Day (December 26th) are both big shopping events in Canada

17. Explore the holiday foodie and drink scene

A big part of Christmas in Canada is about gathering with family and friends. Restaurants in Toronto embrace this by decorating for Christmas, and there are also pop-up holiday bars throughout the city. Here are the best places to eat (or drink) around the holidays in Toronto for a real Christmasy experience:

• Check out several holiday pop up bars throughout the city, for ages 19+ (my personal favourite is Miracle – they donate proceeds to women’s shelters)
• Canoe – fancy, upscale restaurant downtown that always decorates elegantly for Christmas
• 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower – enjoy it decorated for Christmas while revolving around the lit-up city
• These venues that do special Christmas menus
• The Hilton Hotel in Toronto – offers dining and often decorates for The Nutcracker, because its right beside the Hummingbird Centre where the Nutcracker Performs. My husband and I ate dinner here once before the show

18. See some elaborate residential Christmas decorations

One of my favourite things about Christmas in Canada is that we tend to decorate for Christmas. Toronto is full of Victorian homes that look so nostalgic and cozy at Christmas time with their lights and trees in the window. And there are also a few homes that tend to go above and beyond, and even arrange fundraisers for local hospitals before Christmas.

Here are some areas to see dazzling decorations that will really wow you, are worth making your way out to see,

• De Sario Family Festival of Lights – a family home that is known for really going ‘all out’ for the holidays. They’re located at 165 Benjamin Boake Trail in North York, and they run a fundraiser for Sick Kids Hospital! Check out their Instagram page
• Kringlewood Drive (Inglewood Drive at St. Clair Avenue East) – for the past 10 years, there’s been an inflatable Santa on every house! It works out to be 40-50 inflatable Santas, very unique thing to see

8. Experience a Scandinavian Christmas

Swedish Christmas Fair Toronto Dates 2026: November 20-22nd, 2026

Scandinavian-style Christmases have really grown in popularity in recent years. And I’m lucky, because I’m half-Swedish and grew up with Scandinavian and Swedish holiday traditions. Not too many people know about this, but there’s a large Swedish Christmas fair in downtown Toronto every year in mid-November.

We go every single year, and indulge in all the Swedish goodies, shop the market and watch a beautiful performance. There are Swedish-style handmade Christmas ornaments, and a kid’s craft room with gingerbread baking. The crafts are always impressively well thought out, and organized.

You can also try Swedish glögg (mulled wine), and have a traditional Swedish fika (coffee, gingerbread cookies and baked goods.) My favourite thing to do there is shop the many imported goods and souvenirs from Sweden

It’s a popular event, and can get crowded especially on the Saturday, but I highly recommend popping by even to browse the Scandinavian Christmas stuff. This is the first year that they’re holding it at their new location, which is 51 Dockside drive. The Toronto Swedish Christmas Fair is free of charge, but I recommend bringing cash for food, and shopping. See more details on the website.

19. Head out of town for a different Christmas vibe

Toronto is huge, but when you venture outside of its bounds, you can find very different environment. Toronto has a big city, cosmopolitan Christmas, whereas small towns surrounding the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is where you might find a more small-town Christmas vibe.

• Niagara on the Lake – looks like being in an old-fashioned Christmas card
• Oakville, Ontario – The movie A Christmas Story (1983) was actually filmed here!
• Niagara Falls -they have some holiday festivities, and you can enjoy the falls lit up Christmas colours at night
• Stratford (famous for its Shakespare festival in the summer) puts on a winterfest in the holiday season
• Bowmanville (1 hour east of Toronto) – over 100 houses in the Old Scogog Rd neighbourhood are very decked out
• Countless cute small towns surrounding the Toronto area (Fergus, Kleinburg, Niagara on the Lake, etc) where you can experience a small-town Christmas. Check each town’s website to see when they’re hosting markets and events

See my guide on day trips from Toronto for more things to do in the area around the Christmas season or otherwise

Best Places to See Christmas Lights in Toronto

Here are the best places to see Christmas lights, both indoor and outdoor in Toronto during the holidays

Outdoor Christmas Lights:

• Nathan Phillips Square’s Cavalcade of Lights
• Distillery Winter Village
• The village of Yorkville Park is often illuminated for the holidays

Indoor Christmas Lights in Toronto

• Illumi in Mississauga is an indoor light setup
• Holiday Nights of Lights in Scarborough
• GLOW Toronto (not running in 2026)

Where to See Santa in Toronto

Many events and venues host Santa, and give kids an opportunity to meet Santa. Here is where Santa will be hanging out in Toronto in 2024:

• The Santa Claus Parade
• Santa will be at Casa Loma, see their website for dates
• Kris Kringle often makes an appearance at Festive Nights at Black Creek Pioneer Village

How to Spend Christmas Eve or Day in Toronto

Most things will be closed on Christmas Eve (starting from late afternoon) and all day on Christmas Day in Toronto. All of the holiday activities in Toronto are closed at these times as well. The city becomes pretty empty and quiet, as most locals leave town for Christmas vacation or to visit family. Unless you have family in Toronto, I probably wouldn’t plan to be in Toronto for the actual Christmas Day. The only things that will be open are generally Asian restaurants.

December 26th is Boxing Day, and is the big shopping event in Canada until Black Friday became popular here in the last decade. Boxing Day still exists though and you can get some great deals, similar to the ones you’d find for Black Friday.

Is it Worth Visiting Toronto at Christmas?

Toronto is worth a visit any time of year, and of course, like many cities, it has a special feel during the holiday season. There’s only a 50% chance of a white Christmas in Toronto (the past couple years have not had any snow on Christmas Day) and sometimes the weather is too mild in the weeks leading up to Christmas to enjoy many winter activities.

But there are lots of Christmas decorations, lights, and Christmas trees all around the city. The city decorates for Christmas and tries to create that holiday elegance. There are a lot of things to do in Toronto from mid-November to late December that are unique to the holiday season. If you’re living in Toronto, or nearby and you love festive things, then you won’t be disappointed.

You’re visiting from out of town, then 2-3 days in Toronto is enough to see all the highlights, plus the special Christmas features.

Christmas in Toronto Canada FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about celebrating Christmas in Toronto

Where is the best place to see Christmas lights in Toronto?

There are lots of places to see Christmas lights in Toronto, both residential and commercial. For commercial, there are both indoor and outdoor elaborate light displays. There are also some residential neighbourhoods in Toronto that are known for their traditions of elaborately decorating every year

What is there to do in Toronto at Christmas time?

In Toronto at Christmastime, you can visit vendor markets, have festive nights out at holiday pop up bars, admire some very elaborate holiday decorations and light shows, shop in environments from quirky bohemian neighbourhoods to high-end shopping malls

Is Toronto a good place to visit in Christmas?

Yes, Toronto is a great place to visit during Christmas. I wouldn’t specifically visit Toronto for it’s Christmas, but if you’re already visiting Toronto or live nearby, then there are certainly lots of great holiday events during the Christmas season.

How is Christmas celebrated in Toronto?

Christmas is celebrated in Toronto with Christmas vendor markets, visits with Santa, parades, pop-up holiday bars, and lots of holiday decorations throughout the city.

Final Thoughts on Toronto at Christmas

Do I think that Toronto is the most beautiful, Christmasy place in Canada at this time of year. Not necessarily – I think that Quebec City, or even Ottawa have a higher chance of having some snow, and are also much smaller with more of an intimate Christmas feel.