things to do holidays toronto

10 fun things to do during the holidays in Toronto

Fun things to do in Toronto during the holidays include events and activities like going to the theatre, seeing a comedy or art show, hitting up a local concert, or something even more unique.

Here are some fun things to do in Toronto over the holidays.

Check out the holiday displays you missed

Window Wonderland, the free art gallery in the Junction, continues until Jan. 31 for its fourth consecutive year. It features 20 augmented reality window installations and five murals, all designed by local and international artists.

Light Up the Dark is returning to the Aga Khan Museum from Dec. 27 to 29, 6:30 pm to 9pm each night. Ten OCAD students created animations that will be projected against the museum, with a backdrop of music inspired by American composer Yusuf Lateef.

The Village of Yorkville Park will be lit up in its Holiday Magic display until Dec. 31.

See the Nutcracker

The National Ballet of Canada is performing Nutcracker until Dec. 30 at the Four Seasons Centre. Billed as Toronto's "favourite holiday tradition," this version of the play hails from Canadian choreographer James Kidulka in 1995.

If you can't make it to the ballet, you can always try it yourself. The Fifth Dance's beginner ballet workshop takes place on the 27th and is tailored around The Nutcracker's iconic Sugar Plum Fairy Variation.

Take in some holiday spirit at Christmas festivals

The holiday spectacular version of Canada's Wonderland runs until Jan. 6. Aside from new food options and seasonal merch, WinterFest features ice skating and over a dozen live shows — the centrepiece being two 50-foot Christmas trees.

The annual Christmas transformation of Stackt Market runs until Dec. 31 for anyone looking to extend the festive vibes into the end of the year. The market features a mistletoe disco, a speakeasy whiskey bar, a 120-foot tunnel of lights, and so much more — every day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The Distillery District's Winter Village officially runs until the 31st, but they'll kick off January with a "Shopping Week" from the 1st-7th.

Have a drink at the Christmas pop-up bars

There are still a few annual holiday-themed pop-up bars that'll be available after Christmas — starting with Miracle Toronto on 875 Bloor St. W. until Dec. 30.

Project Gigglewater's Giggly Christmas at 1369 Dundas St. W. is on until Dec. 31, and Papi Chulo's Mistletoes and Margeritas pop-up is back until Jan. 1.

Lastly, the Little Sister's Java Jingle Holiday bar at 102 Portland St. is sticking around until the 31st.

Watch some live sports

If you can afford it, the Leafs are playing the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27 and the Carolina Hurricanes Dec. 30. There are also the Raptors, who play their final home game of the year this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

If you're looking for some more affordable live hockey, the Toronto Marlies are playing the Belleville Senators at Scotiabank on the 26th, followed by a rematch at Coca-Cola Coliseum on the 30th.

Experience Toronto's theatre

WWE is bringing its piledrivers, flying elbow drops, and superkicks to the Coca-Cola Coliseum on Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m. This stop on the holiday tour features Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Seth 'Freakin' Rollins, Jey Uso, Becky Lynch, and Drew McIntyre.

From Dec. 27 to 31 at the Meridian Hall, audiences can bear witness to what has been described as "the Avengers of magic." Across the Champions of Magic's 140-minute runtime, that means stunts like levitation and an escape from Houdini's water-bound cell.

Potted Potter is an unauthorized retelling of all seven Harry Potter books — plus a game of Quidditch — packed into 70 minutes. The show actually goes way back with Toronto: it made its North American debut here in 2012. Now, it returns to the city from Dec. 21 to Jan. 14 at the Bluma Appel Theatre, located in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

From the 23rd to the 31st, you can catch the premiere performance of the "101 Holiday Movie Moments" show at Comedy Bar. From your Bah humbug!'s to your Yippee-ki-yay!'s, the show will incorporate all sorts of Christmas movie magic.

For more theatre suggestions, check out 10 live theatre shows in Toronto to watch during the holidays.

Get out for some live music

Kaytranada, the Grammy and Juno-winning producer out of Montreal, is coming by History on Dec. 27 with doors at 8 p.m. You might be able to hear some of the first performances of his recent singles "Lover/Friend" and "Stuntin" at the standalone show.

Although the candles are fake — sorry, it's a fire hazard — there are still a number of Candlelight Concert performances in the city to be excited about.

That includes another Nutcracker take on Dec. 28 at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, the best of Hans Zimmer at the Paradise Theatre on the 27th and 30th, and a tribute to Queen starting on the 30th, also at the church.

On Dec. 29, Travis Scott drops by Scotiabank for the first part of his Circus Maximus Tour before coming back after another stop in January.

Try ice skating across the city

There are over 50 free options for ice skating available in Toronto until February. They're open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., weather permitting.

That includes unique ice skating experiences like the Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Phillips Square, open until Jan. 7, or the rink at Union Station. There's also the 220-metre figure-eight trail at the Bentway, open until Feb. 19.

Check out the city's museums

General admission to all ten of the city's history museums is permanently free. There's also unique holiday events at some of them running until the end of the year, like the Dec. 30 candlelit yoga at the Scarborough Museum.

There's also the new AGO exhibit on Caribbean-British art and the new iArts Museum at King and Portland, featuring 18 3D installations.

Experience the New Years' Eve fireworks

The city's annual lakeside fireworks display is returning to ring in 2024. The 10-minute, synchronized display will be viewable along the inner harbour or live-streamed online.

The City has a list of prime viewing spaces — there will also be pop-up performances from 10pm onward at the Sherbourne Common, Toronto Music Garden, and the Exhibition Common.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


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