The Distillery Winter Village, the Christmas market in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, is adding a version of “The Nutcracker” you can walk through this season. Organizers announced it Tuesday along with a longer list of new food and attractions, and you won’t find most of them on a ballet stage.
All profits from opening night tickets on Thursday, Nov. 12, go to the market’s local charity partners. Santa lights the Christmas tree at 6 p.m., and singer Holly Cole, a JUNO Award winner, follows with songs from her Christmas album. The ceremony also streams live on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
A Nutcracker You Walk Through Leads the New Lineup
The Distillery Winter Village is in its 17th year, and the Christmas market draws more than 1 million visitors a year, according to organizers. Its centerpiece is a silver fir in Trinity Square that stands 55 feet tall and gets a new look this year. The market runs daily through Jan. 3, except Christmas Day.
The Immersive Nutcracker fills The Fermenting Cellar with digital projections that run from floor to ceiling and surround you on all sides. You’ll watch the Nutcracker march past and snow fall on the way to the Land of Sweets, and you’ll meet towering versions of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King. It needs its own ticket, separate from Winter Village admission.
4 Chefs Are Cooking Dishes You Can Only Get Here
Chef’s Lane returns after its debut last year, with four chefs and four holiday dishes made only for the market. Afrim Pristine, co-owner of Toronto’s Cheese Boutique, and Taylor Wells, who leads the kitchen at The Carbon Bar, are two of this year’s chefs.
New vendors include Prince St. Pizza and Carousel Bakery, the St. Lawrence Market institution known for its peameal bacon sandwiches and apple fritters. Returning favorites include Cluny’s torched s’mores hot chocolate and Scooped by Demetres’ Monkey Bread.
The Canuck Tavern Has a Moose and a Penalty Box
The Canuck Tavern is new on the Archeo Patio, and it’s all about hockey and cottage country. You can sit in a Muskoka chair by the fire, catch a hockey game on the big screen, pose in a canoe or take a seat in the penalty box. The tavern also has a topiary moose and tributes to famous Canadians, including Terry Fox and Roberta Bondar.
The bar pours Canadian beer and spirits, and a message board lets you share what you love about Canada.
Pick Your Day, and You May Not Need a Ticket
If you’d rather skip the ticket, go early in the week, since admission is free all day Monday to Wednesday through Dec. 13. Check the ticket calendar first, because peak times, including Friday through Sunday evenings after 4 p.m., require a ticket. Kids 9 and under always get in free.