Christmasy Things to Do in Toronto, Ontario

Christmas Things to Do in Toronto
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Jenn: [00:00:00] Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Travel Mug Podcast. I just took my last trip of 2025, which was a super quick trip to Toronto for a special event and also for some Christmasy things. So this episode is kind of like part trip report, part list of Christmasy things to do in Toronto. 'cause there's a lot to do and honestly, I missed most of it.

Meggan: So here's what you can do to make up for my

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So what time of year should you go to do Christmas things in Toronto? This was my big mistake. We were there the last weekend of November. It was the 29th and 30th, and I would probably not necessarily recommend that weekend in general.

Meggan: Oh,

Jenn: Um, a lot of things that I wanted to do hadn't started yet.

[00:01:00] So that was kind of the big bummer, but we were going for a special event that was only on a certain day. So what can you do? So I would recommend going either the first or second week weekend of December, unless you really wanna see the Christmas parade, which I will get to in a moment.

Meggan: Okay. Well I think that I would love to hear, now I know that this is a big deal, so I'd love to hear, where you stayed, , for your big weekend in Toronto.

Jenn: Yeah, so we did splurge and uh, Meggan, uh, slightly convinced me to do this, but I, you know, I was probably gonna do it anyway, but we did, she, uh, she reaffirmed my decision. We splurged on the Fairmont Royal York, and I have to say that it was worth it. Obviously this is subjective. Um, but the [00:02:00] lobby is stunning.

So even if you don't stay here, you can definitely come and check out the lobby. We actually spent quite a bit of time exploring the lobby and people watching, mostly because watching people try to figure out the elevators was kind of funny.

Meggan: Was it like a po? Was it like a maze? Like what do you mean?

Jenn: Okay, so for the elevators, uh, you, you scan your room key on like a screen outside of an elevator and it tells you which elevator to go to. So a lot of the time you're not sharing the elevator with like another party. Um, but when you scan your card, it tells you what elevator to go to. Say it says get an elevator six.

You get in. It's only going to that floor. You can't then press a button.

Meggan: Oh.

Jenn: So you would see people just like run in and get in an elevator with other people and it's like, it's probably not going to your floor.

Meggan: [00:03:00] Right.

Jenn: then you'd see them come back down and

Meggan: Scan their

Jenn: Yes, the elevator of shame, I don't.

Meggan: It sounds like, it. Sounds like it. Like just laughing at you. Sorry. Not

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. So I'll say about the hotel, like the location is essentially perfect for what we wanted to do. It's right across from Union Station. There is a free shuttle to and from Billy Bishop Airport, which is where we flew into, it drops you off like right beside the hotel. Um, I felt very fancy staying here. Um, you know, I had to have my little moment in my robe and my Fairmont slippers and it.

Meggan: I get that. I get, I have stayed there. It is. It is quite lovely. Now, obviously you went for a special event, but there are lots of Christmasy things happening there. So let's start with that parade you referenced

Jenn: Yeah, so we did not get to [00:04:00] do the parade, but uh, 2025 was the 121st year of the Santa Claus Parade in Toronto. The date moves a bit each year. This year it was on November 23rd, so if you wanna be there for the parade, that's good to know. The parade is actually considered to be one of, or actually the oldest Santa Claus parade in the world, which is pretty cool. And I'm a little sad we missed that. That would've been really neat.

Meggan: That seems odd since we're such a young country, but okay.

Jenn: Yeah. I don't know.

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: Alright, let's talk about the few wintery Christmasy things that we did do. And the first thing was the distillery Winter Village. So it's probably one of the most popular things to do in Toronto in Christmasy Times. It used to be called the Toronto Christmas market. It's now called the Distillery Winter Village.

So. Just so you know, um, [00:05:00] it's in the distillery district in Toronto, and there are some dates and times that you need tickets to get in, but sometimes it's free. So just check the website.

Meggan: Not confusing at all.

Jenn: No, no, just check the website for the date and time that you're planning to go. So general admission tickets are $18.65 and are for a specific date and time.

You can also pay more to get an express entry ticket. I have seen videos on tiktoks of really long lines to get in on the weekends. So just something to know. So the market is mostly food booths. There were a few craft booths, although it was mostly food. And then there's also like permanent stores in the distillery district that are open as well.

The market was really fun. I'm really glad that we went. We got there around 1130, uh, [00:06:00] am The booths didn't open until noon. We were there on a friday, um, we stayed until like 3:00 PM and by then it was getting quite busy. Uh, you would have to pay to enter that day at 4:00 PM on Friday. So I think a lot of people try to get there like three o'clock and so that they don't have to pay to get in, but then you can stay.

Um, I will say like if you go earlier in the day, you do miss out on like the pretty lights aspect of it, which, uh, you know, is kind of sad, but it is what it is.

Meggan: understood. It is kind of like going to a bar before, like they start charging cover

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: and just, and just staying, and this is kind of the same

Jenn: Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Harken back to our bar days. Yeah.

Meggan: What else did you get up to?

Jenn: Okay, so Winterville at Eaton Center. So [00:07:00] whether you need to do some holiday shopping or not, I would recommend going to Eaton Center to check out the giant 114 foot Christmas tree. It has a light show that runs every hour. It was really beautiful.

And then there's also a spot where you can get professional photos with the tree or Santa. You do have to make reservations online to meet Santa. So good to know. We'd went there on a Friday. It was probably like hmm, four o'clock or five o'clock maybe, and it was busy, but not too busy. We actually stopped in on Saturday and it was psychotic.

Uh

Meggan: Merry

Jenn: uh, to be fair, it was like Black Friday weekend. But holy moly, crowded. Um, we wanted to grab, or specifically my husband wanted to grab a couple things in one store and we [00:08:00] literally like got in and got out as.

Meggan: Oh, I can imagine. Now, how did the tree compare to Woody?

Jenn: Ah. Um, much less creepy, I will say. Yes. Yeah. Yes. For those listeners who don't know, Woody, um, the, the Christmas tree at the big mall in, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has a face and he talks, um, and he is scary looking.

Meggan: He, he, he, I like all of like the woodland creatures that surround his base, but I'm really not into the tree itself. I only saw it for the first time, like last year, and it, it's haunted a few dreams

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. We'll have to, uh, we'll have to post that one on our Instagram so people, uh, people can see Woody. All right. Back to Toronto. So, uh, Nathan Phillips Square. There's the cavalcade of lights in Nathan Phillips Square. It is a free event, uh, where you can enjoy a light display. There's a Christmas tree. You can also [00:09:00] rent skates to skate on the arena. That's like in front of the Toronto sign. So it's very like photogenic. Uh, skate rentals are free on Saturday evenings this year specifically, but they are normally $15 to rent for adults. We were actually there for the kickoff event, so that was a timing that worked out really well. So there was a live orchestra, um, they played music. It was the candlelight concert, so it had all of the like pretty lights. Um, I know. And they played from home alone, like the theme of music. And I was like, ah, because Home Alone's my favorite Christmas movie. So.

Meggan: I've never seen it

Jenn: I literally, I cannot believe that I, we've been through this before and I,

Meggan: I know, I

Jenn: just,

Meggan: I've not, my

Jenn: uh, I'm gonna tie you down and make you watch Home alone.

All right, so, uh, next up [00:10:00] is the St. Lawrence Market, which is a permanent food markets and it's a hundred percent worth visiting anytime you go to Toronto. But for the holidays, they have a, a winter market outside that's open Thursday through Sunday. I. It's free. It's much smaller than the distiller Winter Village, but it is also much less crowded.

So, you know, um, I mean I think it's definitely still worth visiting, especially because it is free. There was some food huts, some crafty things. There was a free skating rink. I pretty sure it was like the plastic-y ice, not real ice. Uh,

Meggan: What is plasticy

Jenn: like fake ice that you can skate on. I.

Meggan: I feel like this is against our core as a people.

Jenn: it doesn't need to be frozen, so I think that's the main draw.

Meggan: It, uh, it would be, but I've literally never heard of

Jenn: [00:11:00] Ah, yeah. Yeah.

Meggan: Hmm.

Jenn: they also have free carousel rides and some free outdoor movies on certain dates, and then free photos with Santa on the weekends. Did I say free? Like it's free.

Meggan: I love that though. I think that that's good. I mean, 'cause I'm sure you have to pay for the food and the crafty thing, so I'm sure being able to actually go somewhere for free is a relief.

Jenn: Okay, so next up on things I did is the STACKT. It's S-T-A-C-K-T, holiday Hills Market, and I know another market. This one is open from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday. It has vendors, pop-up bars, photo ops and a winter games zone. Uh, it's free to enter and it was not crowded when we visited on a Saturday afternoon, so that's nice.

It's not huge, but it is worth going to, in my opinion. I did buy a couple Christmas, uh, gifts while I was there.[00:12:00]

Meggan: Did you play any winter

Jenn: I did not, but it is funny, I went to, um, the Evergreen market in Halifax this past weekend, and they had the same winter games, so I guess they're just making their way around Canada. Uh, we all have the same thing apparently.

Meggan: Gotcha. Gotcha. Now that's the stuff you did

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: but I know that you've done some research for our listeners, um, as have I, but you're gonna kick it off and sort of tell us some things they could do, but you didn't necessarily

Jenn: Yes. Okay. So the first thing I wanna talk about is Casa Loma. So I really wanted to get to Casa Loma Christmas at the Castle and Holiday Lights, but it runs from December 5th, 2025 to January 3rd, 2026. So I was too early, this is the theme of the episode.

Meggan: It's like going back to your Thanksgiving in Cape Breton, where everything was closed.

Jenn: I just, I forgot about that. Thanks. Yeah.

Meggan: Bless your.

Jenn: [00:13:00] Um, so the Castle, castle Loma is decorated for Christmas with a 20 foot Christmas tree in the Great Hall, and then eight signature trees that are created by Canadian designers. Uh, there's also performances like live performances by multiple artists, and kids can meet Santa of course, and then the holiday lights are outside in the gardens where there's also live performances.

So all of this does not come cheap, of course, so you can get tickets separately for each event or buy a combination ticket. But Castle tickets are $45 a person, and the holiday light tickets are $45 a person until December 19th, and then they are $50 a person. I know and if you buy a combo ticket, it's $70 before December 19th, and $75 after that.

So just, uh, make sure that you really want to do this before you spend the money on it.

Meggan: And if you do, sounds like the combo ticket's the way

Jenn: Yeah, I [00:14:00] think that, I think I would've done it and maybe I would have a different opinion on it if I had done it and spent the money and, and, and whether or not it is worth it. But, uh, it is something that I would still like to do. So who knows? Maybe I'll do another Christmasy trip to Toronto in the future.

Meggan: All right.

Jenn: All right, so the next thing I didn't get to do is the.

Meggan: The next thing I wish I had done, but I could not do 'cause I was too early

Jenn: Is the Festive Lights Double Decker bus tour. I was really disappointed that this didn't start until after we left. So imagine getting on a double decker bus and driving around Toronto to see the most colorful neighborhoods. Plus you get a live, uh, guide on the bus sharing stories about Toronto's history and unique holiday traditions.

So the tour is about 75 to 90 minute. I'm sure that depends on Toronto traffic and [00:15:00] costs $50 each. So not cheap, but sounds fun. Uh, this year the tour was running nightly from, I think December 11th to December 31st with no tours on Christmas.

Meggan: I mean, even Santa has to

Jenn: All right. All right, Meggan, tell us about other things I did not get to do.

Meggan: I would love to. First and foremost there's Canada's Wonderland Winterfest. There's also multiple markets, multiple winterfests.

Jenn: Mm-hmm. uh, Mm-hmm.

Meggan: So this one runs November 15th to January 3rd 2026. Obviously if you are going another year, check the dates. It is in Vaughn, Ontario, you do still have time. If you're listening to this release in 2025 to visit there, you can expect Christmas lights, light shows, rides, attractions, live shows, skating, and of course, holiday food and drink. Will save money. Apparently, I didn't do enough [00:16:00] research or jotted down what you'll save or how much you'll spend, but you'll save money by buying your tickets online. if you buy four or more tickets online together, that will give you an even bigger discount. So if you're going with friends or you have a family, go online and buy the the tickets. There. Um, and because life these days is all about fomo, you can buy premium ticket add-ons of course, for different events happening during Winter Fest, and experiences such as renting an igloo during your time there.

Jenn: All right. Cool.

Meggan: Americans listening. We all just don't live in the igloos. These are for actually just renting while at

Mm-hmm.

Um, our advice is to buy online in advance to save. I mean, that kind of goes for most things. It seems like these

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: can buy tickets. Winter Fest. Number two I would love to talk about is Winter Fest Toronto at Harbor Front Center. Um, 2025 marks just the [00:17:00] second year for this event. And like other Winter Fest, you'll enjoy dazzling lights, delicious eats, magical train rides, holiday markets, and a new winter maze and some live performances, I'm assuming on specific days and times. So this event at Harbor Front Center is on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with varying hours depending on what you'd like to see and do. So be sure to check out online before you head out. There are performances that are free to enjoy, which is nice and paid performances, uh, mixed in as well. Some of the free events there include dance lessons, a craft fair, where you can also enjoy some mulled wine and you cannot forget the Alpine Mary Sheep Choir.

Yes, sheep.

Jenn: Ah, nice.

Meggan: Yes, yes. , The maze and the train, uh, those seem to go through until December 31st, so you do still have some time to catch some of those events.

Jenn: Yeah, this was going on while we were there. We just didn't make it there. 'cause we were in Toronto for I [00:18:00] think like 47 hours. So

Meggan: You can't do all the

Jenn: no, not a lot of time.

Meggan: Now the next one I would love to see, and that is the Nutcracker performance. So that is running from December 5th to the 31st in 2025 at the National Ballet. You can see the classic Nutcracker as it celebrates 30 years this year. Um, it has been performed there annually, since 1995 in Toronto.

So. If you aren't familiar with a story like myself, I just love the ballet personally. Uh, the website tells us squabbling siblings, Marie and Misha are attending a Christmas party at their country home when their mysterious Uncle Nikolai arrives bearing gifts. Oh, Nikolai, you're a favorite. Now these include a beautiful Nutcracker doll for Marie who takes it to the nursery that night.

Then the magic begins, the clock strikes 12. The Christmas tree grows to enormous proportions, and Marie and Misha embark on a fabulous journey that teaches them to get along. [00:19:00] I wish I'd had that at my house when I was a kid. Um, the link to the website will be in our show notes. all about the Nutcracker and many of the performances I noticed were sold out. However, you can still get tickets for some performances and you can expect to pay 150 plus dollars for really crappy looking seats. So if you do so, if wish to go, my advice is be prepared for that or go next year and buy early,

Jenn: Yeah. Good, good, good plan.

Meggan: Indeed, indeed. The last couple things I wanted to mention was Allen Garden's Conservatory each year you can usually find a holiday market in late November, early December. You can follow along with them online for details, uh, in particular on Instagram. And don't miss the City of Toronto's stunning Poinsettia flower show. The conservatory if you do go. then finally, like this one's like a little interesting [00:20:00] tidbit and it's called Kringlewood. So on Inglewood Drive in the Moore Park neighborhood, you can go and visit and see giant 14 foot inflatable santa lining the streets. As they have for the last 10 plus years. So these are like literally in people's yard, initially started by just two men and it's grown from there. So it is of course free to visit something fun to go and see for all ages, and there are now 80 plus inflatable Santa to wow you.

Jenn: I like, can you imagine like buying a house on that street? And they're like, welcome to the street. Um, here's your 14 foot tall, inflatable santa that you must put up. Uh, so, uh, we'll see you in December. Like just,

Meggan: It is like you have to sign like a

Jenn: yeah. Yeah.

Meggan: a house there or

Jenn: I really wanted to go see this and I couldn't find any information online, like when they put them up. And so I didn't wanna like trek all the way there if no one had them up yet, [00:21:00] so didn't get to do it. But, uh, if, if someone out there listening, Toronto is one of our top cities that listen, so someone might have this information, when do the Kringlewood Santas go up?

Let us know.

Meggan: Yes. And like do the na everyone get together and be like, okay guys, time for your Santa. Like, I, I, I wonder what's in the contract. Everybody

Jenn: Do you, do you think, do you think it's like when you put out the garbage and you see your neighbor putting out the garbage and you're like, ah, Bob has this Santa out. We gotta get our Santa out.

Meggan: Muriel, time to put out the Santa. Yeah, something probably, probably. But moving on from Santa, I'd like to move into our favorite topic, and that of course is food and drink. So lay it on us. What can you see and what can you eat?

Jenn: Yes. Okay, so let's talk about the afternoon tea at the Fairmont Royal York. So if you want to get fancy, this is what you should book. We did not book the tea. Uh, I can definitely say that the hotel is [00:22:00] decorated like perfectly and you can book a reservation every Friday, Saturday, and sunday from November 21st to January 4th at either 11:00 AM 1:00 PM or 3:00 PM. 11:00 AM Teas are $99 per person, and the afternoon teas are $129 per person. Which includes a glass of sparkling wine, so at least you get

Meggan: Oh geez.

Jenn: something for that extra $30. Um, and all the teatimes of course include the same food, which looks quite fancy and is likely delicious. However,

Meggan: It better be

Jenn: it better be delicious. Uh, it did not look safe for someone with shellfish allergies like my husband and nut allergies.

It was very shellfish forward and also, uh, didn't really look like they would accommodate vegetarian diets, so we [00:23:00] saved our money.

Meggan: I don't picture, like when I'm picturing an afternoon high tea, I'm not picturing it being shellfish

Jenn: Uh, yes, there were definitely lobster sandwiches and I can't remember what else, but I was like, no.

Meggan: I can, I can go to my parents and get lobster for free, but thanks. Alright.

Jenn: All right, so the next thing I wanna talk about is a food tour. So for a Christmas themed food tour, you can check out Sugar and Spice Holiday Food Tour with Culinary Adventure Co, which includes four food stops, uh, where you get eight different tastings, plus plenty of time to shop for the foodies on your gift list. So in this year, 2025, the tour is offered on Sundays from November 30th to December 31st. Unfortunately, we were flying out on Sunday morning, so we could not book this tour. So we decided to book their St. Lawrence, uh, food market tour. And let [00:24:00] me tell you, we had such an amazing time. So first of all, we were the only people that booked.

Meggan: It was a private

Jenn: It,

Meggan: tour.

Jenn: ended up being a private tour, which was amazing. Our guide, Kateryna, we, we had the best time with her. She totally customized the tour to accommodate my husband's food allergies, like I mentioned, and our preference for vegetarian options. We had so many delicious things and we were so full after the tour.

And I think the bonus of this tour, like in particular at this time of year is it is, uh, inside, mostly inside. You start outside, uh, and then you go inside. So on a cold like wintery day, you're way more comfortable. And I would say this is definitely one of the highlights of our trip, although not specifically Christmas themed, you know?

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: Yeah. So, uh, I wanna talk about popups. So during Christmas in Toronto, you're gonna see, uh, popup bars [00:25:00] for festive food and drinks. We met to visit one, but we ran out of time and a room in our stomachs to be.

Meggan: Those 47 hours went

Jenn: Uh, they really did. So our food tour guide recommended checking out Miracle, which has two locations in Toronto and all of their proceeds go to Nelly's Women's Shelter.

So that's nice. Uh, different blogs that I read while I was planning this trip have mentioned that popups can be expensive and the quality can really vary. So get recommendations if you can.

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: So these next two options are not Christmas themed at all, but they are two restaurants that we ate at and really enjoyed.

So I just wanted to share them. So the first one is La Carnita. It's a Mexican restaurant. We ate at their John Street location, although they have a couple of other locations in the city. Uh, the food was super delicious. The bartender customized one of their cocktails to be alcohol free for me. So that was lovely and uh, I really enjoyed, I got two different tacos, both [00:26:00] delicious.

And, uh, of course we finished with churros, which like, hmm.

Meggan: As one does

Jenn: Oh good.

Meggan: yes.

Jenn: And then, uh, the second one we ate at was called the Host. It was an Indian restaurant. They have one location in Toronto. It's near the Sick Kids Hospital. They also have another location in Richmond Hill as well. They usually have an all day buffet, but they didn't have, uh, the buffet on the day we ate there. But the food was super delicious. They had lots of vegetarian choices. Our server was really great and, uh, overall we were super happy with that choice.

Meggan: That's the thing about Indian restaurants. They oftentimes are either mostly vegetarian or have so many different options. It's a really great choice.

Jenn: and it, I mean, it's one of my favorite foods, like garlic, naan, ugh.

Meggan: I know. I know. It's so, so delicious. Well, thank you so much for sharing all of that. I think that will be super useful if not for this year, honestly, if people are making plans for any years to come for Toronto at Christmas. I think all of this is great with some really great [00:27:00] advice. And that is it for this year, 2025 Christmas in Toronto. Uh, we hope you are able to at least catch some festive events wherever you are and enjoy the spirit of the holidays if that is your thing. As always, thank you for listening and being here. We love spending time with you. You can find us on social media at Travel Mug Podcast, our website, travel mug podcast.com. And if you like what we're doing in the spirit of giving, you can show the support, uh, of the show by buying us a coffee. Link is in the show notes or leave us a review or share the show with someone else who may enjoy our lovely personalities. Um, and until next time. Bye everyone.