As November unfolds, the holiday season kicks into gear in Toronto. The city is adorned with festive decorations, Christmas music is playing everywhere you go, and bustling with holiday markets. Among the eagerly awaited markets is The Distillery Winter Village. While The Distillery District is always vibrant in the year’s final months, the Winter Village adds an extra layer of enchantment to the area. With lots of activities and events, here’s your comprehensive guide to everything you need to know before experiencing the magic of the Winter Village
The Distillery Winter Village
Opening hours
It’s open until January 7. Sundays to Thursdays from 10am-9pm and Fridays & Saturdays from 10am-10pm. It’s ticketed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4pm, and December 18-31 after 4pm. You can enter for free during any other time. The Winter Village will be closed on December 25.
Ticket prices
That brings us to the elephant in the room…tickets! General admission tickets are $15 and flex tickets are $18. Kids under nine can go for free. Tickets must be purchased online ahead of your visit.
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Parking
Paid public parking is available along Distillery Lane, as well as underground parking. However spots might be limited, so for convenience, you can arrive via TTC or Go Transit or by riding a bike with Bike Share Toronto.
Dining
If you get hungry they are plenty of restaurants at The Distillery District you can check out. They’re also 12 food cabins at the Winter Village where you can expect to find foods like mini donuts, churros, tacos, empanadas, jerk chicken, pierogies, poutine and more. Cops Doughnuts and Real Empanadas are among the vendors at the market.
If you prefer dining somewhere outside of the crazy busy Distillery restaurants during peak times, local restaurants like Reyna on King (literally around the corner) and Gusto 501, both take walk-ins and also accept reservations. They also have Roselle bakery right around the corner, where you can treat yourself to something sweet.
Here are all the coffee shops, restaurants, and dessert spots, you can find in the area:
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- Pure Spirits Oyster House
- Spirit of York Gallery
- Spirithouse Toronto
- District Pizza
- Madrina Bar Y Tapas
- Arena Coffee Bar
- Arvo Coffee
- Balzac’s Coffee Roasters
- Boku Japenese
- Brick Street Bakery
- Cuny Bistro and Boulangerie
- El Catrin Distilleria
- The Sweet Escape Patisserie
- Soma Chocolate Maker
- Scooped by Demetres
- Palong Tea
- Mill Street Pub
Attractions
Here are the attractions that you’ll be able to find at the Winter Village:
- The 56-foot-tall Christmas tree in Trinity Square (the tallest tree ever at The Distillery Winter Village)
- 7’ tall snowpeople
- A Candy Cane Forest on Gristmill Lane
- A vintage Christmas card photo wall on Case Goods Lane
- 3-D, life-sized greeting cards scattered throughout
- Santa and his Elves
- Performances by the Candy Cane Carolers
- Live entertainment
- Santa’s Tower of Toys on the Pure Spirits Patio
- Vendors for shopping and buying gifts
