Everybody awaits the end of the year to gear up for the festive season, but when the fests meet travel, it makes an unbeatable combination. Even I love travelling in the last week of December, each year to a different place, to experience the diversity of cultures in celebrating Christmas.
I have seen numerous cities and towns organizing the best Christmas markets on Christmas Eve, where a range of hand-made crafts created in the workshop, local food stalls, and original flavours of Canada, as well as other fascinating items, are sold.
For the citizens of Toronto, Christmas markets are no less than a holiday season tradition. The Christmas market is a mash-up of holiday treats and festive antics that provide a lovely way to wrap up the last year and ring in the coming year and an entirely new decade. Let’s delve in!
Uncover the Best Christmas Markets in Toronto
The Christmas markets mostly start from the end of November to the end of December, so plan your trip accordingly.
1. Swedish Christmas Fair
If you were truly born with a sweet tooth, the Swedish Christmas market would quickly become your favourite location to go over the holidays, because it became my favourite for sure!
It is known for its delicious sweets, where you can enjoy some delectable Swedish candies while taking in the rhythm of Christmas Carols, folk dancing, and craft-making stations for little ones.
The Swedish Christmas fair offers a variety of entertaining activities such as Swedish singers and dancers, a book corner, craft workshops for kids, caviar, an annual Swedish display, and a shop with a wide selection of products with Swedish designs.
Additionally, it has a lot of food stalls with delicious dishes like home-baked bread & cookies, candy, and hot chocolate. I also bought gifts from small shops, such as candles and designer accessories for my family members.
The Swedish Christmas Fair is the organization’s biggest annual fundraising event in the market. The funds earned annually are used for charitable donations and scholarship initiatives.
2. The Distillery Winter Village
One of Toronto’s giant Christmas trees can be found at the Christmas market of the Distillery Winter Village, located in the historic District.
One of the attractive features of this market is the enormous outdoor beer garden and massive light tunnel.
The historic Distillery District is decorated with sparking lights and festival decorations; there are folks performing carols wearing a costume.
In the Distillery Winter Village, there are statues of snowmen where you can take moments to capture pictures with Santa. Another custom performed there by children is telling Santa of their future hopes and asking him to bless them.
Distillery District hosts more than 350 stage activities and vendors selling handcrafts, dozens of wooden huts, varts, wooden owl decorations, and many other local handmade products.
3. Holiday Street Market
Experience Ontario’s first 35-foot walk-in Christmas tree and starry light tunnels to start a new holiday tradition. It’s decorated with more than 40,000 sparkling lights making the ideal holiday photos to post on your Instagram.
More than 75-80 vendors in the Artisan village have the ideal gifts such as crafts, hand-made cards with beautiful artwork, jewellery and accessories for women, housewares, and decorative house pieces, such as meat, seafood, winter vegetables, coffee, apple cider, and a lot more are all produced locally.
There are also unlimited rides at the market, including a rocking pirate ship, berry go-rounds, bouncy castles, and carousel swings.
4. Holiday Hills at Stack Market
Holiday Hills must be mentioned because it was established on the principles of community, local sellers, and their local shops.
Holiday Hills event is held in Stackt Market, a market in downtown Toronto. With roughly 20-26 in-house stores, you can shop for your holiday items, and this vendor market is open for almost three weekends; this celebration at Holiday Hills is throughout the five weeks.
Due to this market, the ecosystem benefits, and this market hosts various events that will make your Christmas remarkable.
It is Canada’s largest shipping container market since many containers are imported at this market during the festival seasons. You can browse through these little shops to locate unique and interesting gifts for dear ones.
In celebration of Christmas in December, the outdoor market known as Stackt is decorated with dazzling lighting. At night, it makes an Instagram and Facebook aesthetic background that will properly capture your photos to upload.
There are some enjoyable activities you can take part in without even having to pay extra; workshops that teach you how to make handmade crafts using DIY, live music performances, and comedy shows, and you can also take family photos with Santa and your pets.
While in some of their activities, they ask you to pay the ticket price, such as the Crokicurl rink, a combination of curling and crokinole.
The outside patio tables have been spaced six feet apart and have a limit of four persons per table for a safer experience.
5. Aurora Winter Festival Toronto
The Aurora Winter Festival, one of the best Christmas markets in Toronto, is organized by the Canadian National Exhibition from November through December. This location is also referred to as North Pole Village.
Without exciting and memorable events, food, and beverages, wouldn’t a holiday be complete? Well then, everything is available for tourists to enjoy at the Aurora Winter Festival.
The magnificent beauty of the northern lights makes it more stunning to enhance your interesting experience.
The Aurora Winter Festival includes certain features that individuals enjoy exploring independently, such as mind-blowing lights, a Christmas market, and amusement rides such as the Ferris wheel, carousel, and many rides with similar technologies but with different experiences.
Moreover, the pond is transformed into an ice skating surface during the winter, which is a plus for anyone who enjoys skating.
For children, there are Santa’s workshops where they can learn how to produce crafts that will inspire their creativity. In addition, more than 50 vendors with storefronts on the main street sell their products.
6. Evergreen Brickworks Winter Village
There is an outdoor skating rink in Evergreen Winter Village where you can go skating for free during the Christmas season while exploring the Christmas market.
Therefore, remember to bring all your skating equipment when visiting this location this Christmas. While roaming around the Evergreen winter village near Koerner Gardens site, you will find this skating rink.
Additionally, there are some indoor stores where you can purchase items from all around Ontario, including handmade presents and one-of-a-kind décor pieces. There is also an Ontario vintage market with more than 15 small stores.
It is the ideal spot to get a fresh Christmas tree, varying in height from 2.5 feet to 12 to 14 feet. Also, food trucks and meal stalls are there for you to choose from when you want to enjoy delicious food.
Key Takeaways
Whether it be the Aurora Winter Festival Toronto, Evergreen Brickworks Winter Village, or the Distillery Winter Village, one thing is sure, you are in for a lot of fun!
Excellent hotels and restaurants are also open from November to December throughout the Christmas season, although these might be expensive, so I suggest you pre-book the same.
Have fun exploring!
FAQs
Q. Was the Christmas Market open in Toronto in 2022?
Ans. Yes from 17th November to 31st December 2022 Christmas Market was open in Toronto 2022. The timing for the same was 12 pm to 9 pm.
Q. Is the Christmas Market worth it in Toronto?
Ans. Yes, you will love being in the Christmas Market of Toronto. You find it magical at Christmastime. Christmas Market in Toronto is one of the best Christmas markets in the world.
Q. What is the biggest Christmas Market in Toronto?
Ans. The Distillery Winter Village is the biggest Christmas Market in Toronto.
Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Gourvi gupta