Toronto’s Distillery Winter Village returns to the Distillery Historic District from November 12, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Formerly widely known as the Toronto Christmas Market or Distillery Christmas Market, it brings holiday lights, seasonal food and drinks, Canadian makers, Santa, live entertainment and its landmark Christmas tree to the district’s pedestrian streets.
Tickets are now on sale for 2026
Updated: . Dates, ticket rules and programming below are based on current organizer information; details marked as forthcoming have not yet been announced.
Quick facts
Plan your visit
- Event
- The Distillery Winter Village 2026
- Dates
- –
- Location
- The Distillery Historic District
55 Mill Street, Toronto, Ontario - Opening night
- Thursday, November 12; Winter Village hours are 4–9 p.m.
- Tree lighting
- November 12 at 6:00 p.m.
- Paid tickets
- From $16 CAD before HST and service fee
- Children
- Age 9 and under enter free and do not need a ticket
- Christmas Day
- The event is closed December 25
The organizer sells tickets online only; there is no onsite box office. Check the official ticket page for the selected date and current availability.
2026 admission
Distillery Winter Village 2026 Ticket Prices
Paid admission is required during specific dates and evening periods. The official ticket page lists three ticket options; each is for the event’s published date and entry window.
General Admission
$16.00 CAD
- Service fee
- $1.60
- HST
- $2.29
- Total
- $19.89
Valid for the selected date and entry time. Non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
Flex Ticket
$18.00 CAD
- Service fee
- $1.80
- HST
- $2.57
- Total
- $22.37
Change to a future available date up to two times at no extra cost. Changes must be made by 11:59 p.m. the day before your visit; tickets bought together cannot be split across dates.
Express Gate Entry
$30.00 CAD
- Service fee
- $3.00
- HST
- $4.29
- Total
- $37.29
Includes Express Entry access at all gates and unlimited date changes at no extra cost, up to your visit—even if the new date or time is sold out. Tickets bought together cannot be split across dates.
Children age 9 and under enter free and do not require a ticket. All tickets are non-refundable. Prices, ticket terms and availability can change; verify the details on the official Distillery Winter Village ticket page before purchasing.
Free admission calendar
When Is the Distillery Winter Village Free in 2026?
Admission is free before 4 p.m. during non-ticketed periods, all day Monday through Wednesday through December 13, and on Thursdays in November other than opening night. Other date-specific non-ticketed periods are also free. The outdoor food and shopping cabins open at 4 p.m. on opening night.
A ticket is required:
- Opening night, Thursday, November 12, during Winter Village hours (4–9 p.m.)
- From 4 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- From 4 p.m. every Thursday in December
- From 4 p.m. daily, December 14–31
On dates when ticketing begins at 4 p.m., you must already be inside the gates before 4 p.m. to enter without a ticket; arriving at the queue before 4 p.m. is not enough. For the full date-specific schedule, check the organizer’s ticket calendar. The event is closed on Christmas Day, December 25.
Check the organizer’s calendar before travelling, since ticket rules depend on the date and entry period. The official ticket information is the final source for admission.
New for this season
What’s New at the Distillery Winter Village in 2026?
New Immersive Digital Nutcracker Experience
A new digital Nutcracker experience is coming to the Winter Village. Announced elements include interactive experiences and games for children and adults, plus Sugar Plum Fairy-inspired confections. Separate admission is required.
The organizer has not yet released the full experience name, ticket price, operating schedule, age guidance or complete details. No separate consumer listing is published yet.
Details coming in October — WTFToronto will update this guide when the complete experience is announced.
A New Christmas Tree Design
The landmark Distillery Christmas tree is getting a new look for 2026. Its design is being kept under wraps until the opening-night lighting on November 12.
Opening night
Distillery Winter Village Tree Lighting 2026
at 6:00 p.m.
The ceremony marks the official opening night of the 2026 Winter Village. Santa will lead the countdown before the Christmas tree is lit. Opening-night entry requires a ticket.
- 4:00–9:00 p.m. Outdoor shopping and food vendors open
- 6:00 p.m. Tree lighting ceremony
- 6:15 p.m. First holiday song of the season
The organizer says 100% of opening-night ticket profits support local charities and community initiatives. Its September 28, 2026 announcement names Anishnawbe Health Foundation, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund as charity partners.
For more seasonal planning, see our Toronto Christmas lights guide and guide to Toronto holiday markets.
The food guide
What to Eat at the Distillery Winter Village
Food remains a central part of the visit. The 2026 organizer announcement confirms seasonal eats and drinks, viral food favourites, specialty hot chocolate and holiday treats throughout the market. Food vendors rotate from year to year, and the complete 2026 lineup has not yet been released.
Past editions have included familiar holiday-market categories such as chimney cakes, warm pastries, savoury market food, sweets, festive beverages and Canadian treats. Those are historical examples, not a confirmed 2026 menu or promise that a vendor will return.
2026 food vendors
The complete 2026 food and vendor lineup will be added as organizers release it. We are not listing unverified vendors, specific menu items or past-year prices as confirmed for this season.
Explore the district’s permanent restaurants, cafés and bakeries if you want a sit-down meal before or after the outdoor market.
Santa’s Village at the Distillery Winter Village
Santa’s Village returns inside Soulpepper Theatre. Its 2026 presentation draws on the nostalgic atmosphere of a European department store and Soulpepper’s holiday production Parfumerie.
Confirmed elements include Santa, festive displays and sparkling lights, mistletoe, a letter-writing station, specialty hot chocolates and holiday treats. Santa’s specific 2026 appearance schedule has not been published yet and is expected later in October; check the official schedule rather than relying on guessed hours.
For more family planning, browse our Toronto family activities guide.
Live Entertainment & Christmas Performances
Confirmed 2026 programming includes carollers, live music, Mirvish Productions, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Myriad Ensemble, with more entertainment to be announced. The full entertainment and family-experience lineup is expected in October.
Opening-night details are listed on the organizer’s 2026 tree-lighting page.
Holiday Shopping & Canadian Makers
Seasonal vendor cabins are expected to feature Canadian and local businesses and makers. The Distillery District says about 93% of its more than 90 permanent businesses are Canadian-owned, and around 30% of the products sold in the district are made on-site.
The market is part of a larger pedestrian historic district of Victorian industrial buildings, shops, galleries, restaurants and theatres. See our Distillery District neighbourhood guide for more context.
Why Visit the Distillery Winter Village?
The 13-acre pedestrian district pairs Victorian industrial architecture and cobblestone streets with Christmas lights, a landmark tree, seasonal food, local makers, Santa and live entertainment. The setting offers plenty of photo opportunities, and the mix of food, performances and historic lanes works for a family outing or a date night without needing to call it Toronto’s “best.”
Make a broader plan with our Toronto date-night ideas or things to do in Toronto.
For the latest ticket rules, date-specific hours and official announcements, visit The Distillery Winter Village website. This guide is updated as confirmed 2026 information becomes available.