Toronto’s Distillery Winter Village returns with tree lighting and Christmas Market

TORONTO, October 25, 2022 – The Distillery Historic District today, announced the return of Toronto’s most magical Christmas market shopping and dining experience – The Distillery Winter Village – starting Thursday, November 17 at 6:00 pm with the ceremonial lighting of the spectacular 50 ft. Christmas tree already in place in Trinity Square.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Parfums Christian Dior this year to host a picture-perfect holiday experience,” said Rik Ocvirk, Vice President, The Distillery Restaurants Corp and Director, Experiences and Events, The Distillery Historic District. “The Distillery Winter Village is a one-of-a-kind, outdoor market where visitors can take-in the timeless romance of the holidays, celebrate with family and friends, and enjoy specially curated vendor cabins full of seasonal items and gifts, plus delicious, can’t-miss food.”

The official grand opening will take place on Thursday, November 17 at 6:00 pm when Santa flips the switch on the 50-foot-tall White Spruce Christmas Tree in Trinity Square.

Designed by Parfums Christian Dior, this year’s tree will be decorated with 400 custom midnight blue ornaments, 1,700 shiny and matte gold balls, and 70,000 twinkling lights. It is estimated over 500 hours of labour will go into creating this sparkling masterpiece. The tree will also feature 1,000 custom Dior star charms.

Tickets are not required for opening night; however, following that, tickets are required on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4:00 pm, and December 27-31 after 4:00 pm. Tickets are $11 plus HST each. Kids nine and under are free of charge. The Distillery Historic District shops, restaurants and cafés, are open starting at 10:00 am daily, every day, except Christmas Day. 

To purchase tickets, event hours and more information, visit www.TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com.

Be sure to follow The Distillery District on social media for live updates: 

@distilleryTO, #DistilleryWinterVillage. 

More details below in the event guide.

Just the Details – A Guide to Everything You Need to Know About The 2022 Distillery Winter Village

Event Hours

The Distillery Historic District shops, restaurants and cafés are open starting at 10:00 am daily, except closed on Christmas Day.

The Distillery Winter Village outdoor shopping cabins and food vendors will be open from noon, Tuesdays to Sundays. They will be closed on Mondays. 

Thursday, November 17 – Tree Lighting Ceremony 

Free Entry, no tickets required (new this year). 

10:00 am – 9:00 pm – The Distillery District is open 

12:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Winter Village outdoor shopping and food vendors are open 

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Live Entertainment 

6:00 pm – Tree Lighting Ceremony 

November 18 – December 23: 

Mondays, 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (free entry) Distillery restaurants, cafés and retailers are open only. Winter Village outdoor shopping cabins and food vendors closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (free entry) 

Fridays and Saturdays: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (free entry); 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm (tickets required) 

Sundays: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (free entry); 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm (tickets required) 

December 24 – Christmas Eve 

Free entry today. Distillery restaurants, cafés and retailers are open only. Winter Village outdoor shopping cabins and food vendors closed. 

December 25 – Christmas Day – CLOSED 

December 26 – Boxing Day

Free entry today. Distillery restaurants, cafés and retailers are open only. Winter Village outdoor shopping cabins and food vendors closed. 

December 27 – 30: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (free entry); 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm (tickets required)

December 31, New Year’s Eve: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (free entry); 4:00 pm – midnight (tickets required) 

Ticketing

Tickets are required on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4:00 pm, and December 27-31 after 4:00 pm. To purchase tickets, go to: www.TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com

Tickets are $11 + HST each. Kids nine and under are free of charge.

Getting There / Parking

With ongoing road and condo construction development in the area, parking is extremely limited. Visitors are strongly encouraged to take public transit or a rideshare service.

Access to the event will be restricted to four main entry points: North Gate (Trinity St. and Mill St.), East Gate (Cherry St. just south of Mill St.) and South Gate (Distillery Lane) and West Gate (Parliament St. just south of Mill St.).

Shopping

Holiday shoppers can find the perfect gift for everyone on their list: stylish fashions for men, women and kids, home decor, artisanal accessories and jewellery, gourmet food gifts, one-of-a-kind art, relaxing self-care products and services, and more.

In addition to the year round 65+ local merchants, restaurants and cafés, expect to find seasonal vendor cabins offering uniquely curated seasonal items and gifts. 

Food and Dining

The Distillery Historic District has always been a dining destination for foodies and The Distillery Winter Village will not disappoint. In addition to the many permanent restaurants and extended patios, there are exciting food cabins offering a wide variety of flavours and holiday fare, as well as several outdoor bar experiences. 

Alcoholic beverages must be consumed within the restaurants and extended licensed patios.

Other Attractions, Happenings and Photo Opportunities

Holiday Photo Opportunities – The Distillery Winter Village is a dream come true for those looking to add some holiday magic to their IG grid. In addition to star-studded 50-foot-tall Christmas tree designed by Dior in Trinity Square, the canopy lights, the decor, and the photo walls provide so many opportunities to capture memorable holiday moments, including: 

• The 7’ tall snow people
• 11’ tall LED stars
• Santa’s sleigh
• The iconic Big Heart lit up for the holiday season 

(NEW THIS YEAR): The Great Gingerbread Hunt – Grab a map from our info booth, from event staff or one of our roaming Distillery Winter Village ambassadors, and begin your search for all 12 hidden gingerbread people. When you find the one with the Santa hat, take a selfie and share it on Instagram, tagging @distilleryTO for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a Distillery Historic District retailer. Draws will happen weekly.

(NEW THIS YEAR): Christmas Carol Sing-a-long – Look for our band of merry Carolers everyday in front of our projection wall on the Spirit of York building on Trinity Street and join them in singing some of everyone’s favourite holiday songs.

(NEW THIS YEAR): Wishing Stars – What’s your wish this holiday season? Buy a star from our Wish Cabin, write down your wish, and hang the star on the Wish Trees at the east end of Tank House Lane (at the Cherry Street entrance). $3 from each star will benefit Distillery Historic District charitable partners.

Grab a selfie with Santa – Instead of lining up to tell Santa what’s on your wishlist, expect to find him and his team of Elves roaming the cobblestone streets. Also strolling the site and bringing holiday cheer — a superb line-up of live entertainment and carolers.

Thank you to our Sponsors

In addition to our sponsor Parfums Christian Dior, we are pleased to have Amazon Music returning for a second year. Amazon Music will provide the soundtrack to The Distillery Winter Village.

Our Charitable Partners

The Salvation Army will have their iconic red kettles set up around the site for people to donate.

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