Posted: December 8, 2023

Updated: November 15, 2024

When it comes to the best Christmas markets, Toronto as a city is not shy of options. For my first full winter season here, I was looking for things to do in Toronto during Christmas. I also looked for Toronto Christmas events on several websites, blogs and resources online. Having done a round down of the key events that were recommended by various outlets, I came up with my own list of the best Christmas markets in Toronto. This list also includes the type of articles and goods you can expect at each type of market, and reasons why I love and recommend these Toronto Christmas markets!

Christmas Market Toronto: The Distillery Winter Village

This is by far the largest and most popular Christmas market in Toronto. Formerly known as the Distillery District Christmas Market, the Distillery Winter Village in Toronto rebranded a few years ago to highlight the fact that this Christmas market puts a heavy emphasis on local arts, artists, craft makers and small businesses. At the Distillery Winter Village, you can stroll around different alleys and get a completely different experience. I loved the Distillery Winter Village for two key reasons. First, it was my very first experience of what Christmas in Toronto feels like, when I first visited a few years ago. 

On a cold pre-winter night, my friends and I braved the weather and headed out in the streets to listen to some traditional Christmas carols, have some hot chocolate and demolish loaded sausages. Fast forward a few years later, here I am again. But this time, it felt different: I took the time to walk through and explore the art gallery, admire local finds and shop some unique trinkets at Bergo designs: one of the many stores that you can find at the Distillery Winter Village.

Tips for visiting: The Distillery Winter Village is opened every day and is free during the week. On the weekends, you need to get your tickets to explore the Christmas market. I recommend going there around the end of November until the second week of December. During those days, the streets are not completely packed (except for the opening night), and you can also experience some snowy nights of wonder, while marveling at the iconic (and famous) Dior Christmas tree.

Christmas Market Toronto: Glow Christmas Gardens

I found out about the Glow Christmas Gardens while doing my research on Toronto’s Christmas markets. Toronto is one of the cities where the Glow Christmas market exhibition takes place, the other ones are: Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Hartford (in Connecticut). In my opinion, this Christmas market in Toronto comes with a different flare: first, there is a stage for live performances and on each day, different singers (adults and kids alike) perform different types of Christmas favorites, on different days. Secondly, there are Christmas lights installations and decorations that represent Christmas celebrations in 6 different countries, namely: India, China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Mexico. I think this is pretty interesting as a Christmas market concept, and I loved to see this since Toronto is such an international city. 

However, I would love to see a Christmas lights installation also representing an African country like Cameroon or Senegal, and a Caribbean island. At the Glow Christmas Market in Toronto, you can also see the traditional Christmas activities that kids love, such as cookies/ornaments decorating workshops,  photo booths with Santa (included in the admission ticket) and playground areas. Finally, what gives Glow Christmas Toronto a “market” vibe is the fact there are stalls and booths where you can purchase winter wear, accessories and other artistic trinkets.

Fair in the Square (Nathan Phillip Square)

Nathan Phillip Square is a pretty popular sight to see in Toronto all year round, and even more during the Christmas season. During the holidays, there is a large Christmas market called “Fair in the square”, that features a lot of local artisans, business owners, craftsmen and sellers. The fair in the square also has a pretty good variety of food stalls to pick from, and is a great opportunity to sample different bites that Toronto has to offer. I think this is a pretty good stop to consider during a Christmas night in Toronto, as part of a series of multiple adventures. 

Christmas Market Toronto: Holiday Hills Stackt Market

Have you ever seen a Christmas market where the stalls and booths are hosted in shipping containers? Yes – this is the Holiday Hills Christmas Market! Toronto has not stopped surprising me, and I am sure there is more to come as I keep discovering this amazingly welcoming city. The Stackt market was established a few years ago, and also hosts events in Toronto during the summer. However, it’s really during this winter and Christmas season in Toronto that I got to discover this market for the first time. 

Another element that makes this Christmas market in Toronto unique (apart from the shipping containers aspect), is the fact that they have events during the day and in the evening. During the day (and sun hours), you can attend different community workshops, get to meet sellers, artisans and merchants, or even take different classes (including dance classes). In the evenings, you can walk around the Christmas market, enjoy the lights and indulge in a live performance on specific nights!

Tip for visiting: go to the Holiday Stackt Market on a night when they have live performances scheduled: the atmosphere is a lot livelier, and you are more likely to meet other Christmas-loving humans like you! You can check out their full events + performances schedule here. 

When it comes to Christmas markets, Toronto as a city delivers. Whilst this guide does not include all the Toronto Christmas markets, it certainly highlights my favorite, as well as reasons why I love them (and why you might quickly fall in love with them too!)

But Christmas markets in Toronto are only one of the many fun things to do in Toronto in December. Check out my comprehensive guide of things to do in Toronto during the Christmas season: get ready – you will get more Toronto Christmas events than you bargained for!