I try to limit our Santa visits every year since we are trying to keep Santa’s existence as real for the boys as possible. When we start visiting all these different Santa characters, Dean starts asking a lot of questions. To keep the magic and the mystery alive, we narrowed it down to two Santa visits per year. This year, one of the Santa events we chose to visit was the Toronto Christmas Market located in Toronto’s historical Distillery District. Not only is this a great Holiday-themed event, it’s a perfect way to spend some time outdoors with the family.
I’ve seen this event come and go for a few years now and this year we wanted to make it happen so we went on the first Saturday that it was open. Weekends are the busiest times to visit the Toronto Christmas Market (peak times being between the hours of 5-9pm) and the least crowded times to visit is during the week. We felt pretty safe though because it was the day before Toronto’s Santa Clause Parade and it was also a drizzly day. Although we went during the day, I can see why the evenings are so busy – the lights are beautiful!!
A bonus for going during the week — no admission fees. Admission fees are only charged on weekends starting at 5pm on Friday evenings ($6.00, and children under 2 are free). You do have the option of spending a little more ($20) and buying an express pass online that allows you to bypass the entry line. Whenever there is an Express Pass option, take it! The money goes to a great cause too (in this case)!
The Toronto Christmas Market is a not-for-profit organization, so your admission fees are going towards putting this great event on every year and also support three other charities.
Photo opps are everywhere such as “The Heart of Christmas” and the “Family” light-up sign. Pretty sure I’m going to skip the family photo this year and use one of these for our annual family Christmas card!
The Magical lighting was something which we didn’t get to experience since we went during the day however, it is a beautiful sight to see at night. Here are some photos provided from Toronto Christmas Market so you can see what I mean! Amazing, right?
Santa photos are available too and a professional photographer is ready and waiting to take your photo (they will take your photo for a small donation).
There are Candy Cane Carolers singing Christmas carols and their iconic Christmas tree is a beautiful site to see.
We even checked out the family entertainment zone with a Ferris wheel and a merry-go-round – I love classic rides like this and so do my kids.
There are tons of great market booths selling delicious treats and handmade gifts. You can literally get some gifts crossed off your list while enjoying holiday fun.
In addition to market booths, there is a lot of great shopping in the Distillery District. Here is a list of SHOPS. We grabbed coffee and a bite to eat at Wildly Delicious. They have a great menu, good coffee and tons of gifts and décor inside to explore.
I’ve dined in Distillery District quite a bit – there are so many great restaurants to choose from with a beautiful ambiance in this historical part of Toronto. Explore the market and then stay for lunch or dinner!
The Toronto Christmas Market runs until Saturday December 23rd, 2017 (and is not active on Mondays).
On Tuesday December 6th, at 7pm there is a St. Nicholas Celebration. St. Nick will arrive on his white horse and greets everyone on the main stage (I heard he’s bringing treats for all the good girls and boys too!)
I hope you and your family get a chance to visit this fantastic Holiday Festival!
With Love,
Julie
Easy Zesty Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Brisket Sandwich with Pickles and Slaw
December 15, 2022 No Comments
Growing up in my Italian family, sandwiches were our go-to lunch on the weekends. They are quick and hearty and the options
