Hello all… long time, no post! I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a blog post – my apologies for the radio silence – but I’m glad to be back. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I was recently in the beautiful city of New Orleans! NOLA has been on my bucket list forever. My two best friends and I had been talking about doing a girls’ trip there for a couple of years, and this is the year we decided to finally make it happen! Turns out it was the right decision: I fell in love with the city instantly, and it was honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I’m planning on publishing a full New Orleans travel guide on the blog in January, which I’m very excited for. In the meantime, I’ve got lots of great local content to share with you… especially now that it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! I love all holidays, but I adore Christmas most of all. And luckily for those of us who live in Toronto and Southern Ontario, there’s no shortage of fun and festive activities to help us make the most of merry season. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of my favourite local Christmas activities with you all, starting with one of my all-time favourites… the Distillery Winter Village!
When it comes to Toronto Christmas events, there’s perhaps none more iconic or beloved than the Distillery Winter Village. The event first opened in 2010 as the Toronto Christmas Market (it rebranded to the Distillery Winter Village in 2021.) Every year from mid-November through the New Year, the Distillery District comes alive with dazzling lights, festive photo ops, strolling carolers, quaint shopping cabins, and what’s arguably the city’s most photographed Christmas tree. The event is inspired by traditional European Christmas markets, and with the Distillery District’s historic buildings and cobblestone streets, there’s no better setting for it. (To learn more about the Distillery District, check out my post here!)
If you’ve never been to the Distillery Winter Village, you have to add it to your holiday bucket list! I’ve been countless times over the years, and I’ll honestly never tire of going. Whether you’re looking to shop for unique Christmas gifts, sip mulled wine by the fire, indulge in festive treats, hear a Victorian carolling quartet, or snap the picture-perfect holiday card photo, there’s something for everyone. Tania and I recently did a family “girls day” at the Distillery Winter Village, and it was so much fun!
One of the nicest things about the Distillery Winter Village is that it’s indoor-outdoor, so you can always pop into a shop to warm up. Speaking of shopping, if you’re in the market for cute Christmas gifts, decorations, ornaments, cards… this is the place to be. In addition to its existing brick-and-mortar stores, the Distillery District hosts a variety of outdoor shopping cabins exclusively during Winter Village season. You can view a list of outdoor vendors here.
The Distillery District is a great place to shop any time of year, but the holiday season takes it to a whole other level! The shops are stocked with everything Christmas: from one-of-a-kind gifts and cute stocking stuffers to festive decor and every type of ornament you could imagine. One of my favourite stores is Bergo Designs, which specializes in high-end home decor – from luxe brands like Jonathan Adler and Alessi – along with quirky gifts and collectibles. During the holidays, Bergo is stuffed to the brim with unique holiday decorations – ranging from chic and charming to hilariously kitschy – and thousands of ornaments. Seriously, whatever ornament you’re looking for (A bottle of Veuve? A grand piano? A bust of Anna Wintour?) you’ll find it here!
I bought the cutest blue-and-white fish ornament for our tree. I love blue-and-white anything AND I love all sea creatures, so it was a match made in heaven!
Bergo has something for the Disney fans…
…the Grinches…
…and the folks who wish it was still Halloween!
Another great store in the Distillery District is Yummi Candles. They sell high-quality luxury candles, made right here in Toronto. I always use their pillar candles for my work events, and they are truly fabulous! In addition to candles, Yummi has a pop-up holiday market with cute ornaments, gingerbread houses and gnomes galore.
Another fabulous blue-and-white ornament (I have a bit of a ginger jar obsession!)
And an ornament for the cowgirl in your life (don’t we all have one?)
Of course, a trip to the Distillery District wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Blackbird Vintage Finds. This small-but-mighty boutique sells a carefully curated selection of gifts, home goods, candles, jewelry, and various odds and ends – both vintage and new. They also have some delightfully quirky, one-of-a-kind glass ornaments!
Food lovers (isn’t that everyone?) can’t miss Eataly’s Holiday Market pop-up! Here, you’ll find a variety of delicious Italian Christmas treats – from beautifully packaged panettone to festive red-and-green pasta.
We also enjoyed browsing the outdoor shopping cabins, which sell everything from cozy scarves to mouth-blown glass ornaments to German bier steins.
After indulging in some retail therapy, you may be getting a little hungry… luckily, the Distillery Winter Village has got you covered! There are cabins selling everything from perogies to pancakes to pretzels, and much more.
If you love cheese as much as I do, you’re in luck. One of the most popular – or at least one of the most Instagrammed – foods at the Distillery Winter Village is Swiss raclette. This comforting Alpine dish consists of roasted rosemary potatoes and cornichon pickles, topped with a heaping pile of melted Swiss cheese.
The Artisan Grilled Cheese Cabin features creative takes on this comfort-food classic, such as the Christmas Dinner Grilled Cheese: made with roast turkey, brie, and cranberry relish.
Although the food cabins were tempting, we decided to enjoy a sit-down lunch at El Catrin. This Mexican restaurant is one of my favourite places to eat in the Distillery District! Clearly I’m not alone, as it’s also one of the area’s most popular eateries – I highly recommend reservations. We didn’t have one, and the indoor tables were fully booked (what can I say, we’re unprepared) so we grabbed a couple of tables on the patio, which is first-come first-serve all year round. I know what you’re thinking – it’s not exactly patio weather – but El Catrin’s patio is fully heated, and is actually quite toasty! I’m a big baby and hate the cold, but even I found it surprisingly comfortable.
It was even warm enough to order one of El Catrin’s famous margaritas… in my opinion, one of the best in the city! Fun fact: El Catrin has the largest tequila and mezcal collection in all of Canada.
We ordered chips and salsa for the table, and I got the Baja fish tacos, which were deliciously crispy, battered to perfection, and topped with coleslaw and a chipotle lime aioli. Another must-order dish at El Catrin: their famous Birria tacos. Luckily, we are all food sharers (my favourite kind of people!) so I got to try a little of everything – including Tania’s delicious pork quesadilla.
There’s lots of great restaurants in the Distillery District: click here for a full list. Another favourite of mine is French bistro Cluny (click here to read more about Cluny.) For the Winter Village, their Insta-famous light tunnel has been taken over by Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, with blue-and-white trees and an oversized soldier – perfect for a festive photo op!
Speaking of which… if you’re looking for an Insta-worthy backdrop to festi-fy your feed, you won’t have any trouble finding one. The Distillery District is a pretty Instagrammable destination year round, but during the holiday season, it goes into overdrive. This pretty sleigh – complete with wintry backdrop – is practically made for Christmas card photos.
These gold streamers outside of El Catrin are fun and festive!
Something for the Swifties…
…and the elves, snowmen and reindeer in your life.
Even the famous Distillery District Spider got into the holiday spirit!
Of course, the most impressive sight in the Distillery Winter Village is its iconic 55-foot-tall Christmas tree: sponsored by Dior, and as glittery and glamorous as you’d expect.
The only thing sweeter than a cute photo in front of the Christmas tree is my relentless sweet tooth, and luckily, the Distillery Winter Village had me covered there too. From bite-sized pancakes loaded with decadent toppings, to too-pretty-to-eat sugar cookies from Sugar & Iced, to over-the-top Rice Krispie creations from The Whimsical Crispie Co., there’s something here to satisfy every festive dessert craving.
We ordered two varieties of mini-donuts from Donut Princess – tossed in cinnamon sugar (my favourite) and powdered sugar – and they were the perfect little treat! If you love Tiny Tom Donuts, you’ll love these. Nothing like getting a little taste of the CNE in December!
I’m a self-professed hot cocoa connoisseur, so of course I had to try the much-Instagrammed hot cocoa from Balzac’s. There are four different flavours to choose from: Fireside S’more, Tiramisu, Banana Split and Peppermint Swirl (there’s also a kid-sized Cookie Crunch.) I got the Fireside S’more, which comes topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, a graham cracker, and a toasted marshmallow – which they torch right in front of you! And the S’more isn’t just in the toppings: thanks to a hefty dose of hickory smoke syrup, the entire cup has a delightful toasted marshmallow flavour. At $10 a pop, these hot cocoas aren’t cheap, but they’re worth it: an absolutely delicious way to warm up on a chilly day.
As I waited for my hot cocoa, we enjoyed some beautiful Christmas music by the McGregor Carollers. They’re the official carollers of the Distillery Winter Village, and their traditional Victorian outfits really add to the event’s historic charm!
The Distillery Winter Village is open daily until January 5; the only exception being Christmas Day. The village opens at 10am daily, though the vendor cabins don’t open until 12. It runs until 9pm Sunday through Thursday; 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are required after 4pm from December 12-31 and January 2-5. Admission is free before 4 (and kids under 9 are free anytime!) This is a popular event and parking is very limited, so I recommend taking transit/rideshare or coming early. The only way we were able to snag a parking spot is by arriving right at 10am.
Have you been to the Distillery Winter Village yet this year? What was your favourite part?
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