The essential hub for media covering The Distillery Winter Village.
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TORONTO – October 23, 2025 – Today, The Distillery Winter Village presented by L’Oréal Paris, announced its 2025 programming line-up as it prepares to transform Toronto’s Distillery Historic District into an enchanting holiday destination recognized around the world – attracting a million visitors annually.
Now in its 16th season, this proudly Canadian celebration brings more programming and more holiday magic than ever. From Netflix’s Stranger Things 5 immersive experience and The Pura Vida Chocolate Experience presented by Visit Costa Rica to Chef’s Lane featuring exclusive dishes from top Canadian chefs and performances by beloved Canadian institutions like The Tenors, the Canadian Opera Company, Mirvish Productions, and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, this year’s lineup promises to deliver cherished holiday memories.
Visitors will find 47 vendor cabins and nine outdoor holiday bars – the most ever – under a canopy of festive lights offering everything from winter comfort food to must-try treats and seasonal gifts. Highlights include Cluny Bistro’s viral torched s’mores hot chocolate, a Craig’s Cookies pop-up, spiralized potato on a stick, Dubai chocolate, Japanese tacos, fresh strawberries in melted chocolate, and themed outdoor bars like the Ugly Sweater Patio, Peppermint Patio, and the Naughty or Nice Bar.
Recognized among the best Christmas markets globally, The Distillery Winter Village blends the nostalgia of a traditional European market in the heart of downtown Toronto, and runs from November 13, 2025 to January 4, 2026. This year, L’Oréal Paris joins as presenting sponsor to help bring the holiday spirit to life across 13 acres of cobblestone streets and historic architecture.
“This will be one of our most exciting years yet,” said Rik Ocvirk, Vice President, The Distillery Restaurants Corp. and Director, Experiences and Events, The Distillery Historic District. “Our programming combines culinary creativity, family-friendly entertainment, and charming design in a way that captures what makes The Distillery Winter Village so special during the holidays. And we’re proud to partner with L’Oréal Paris, a brand that shares our belief in making beauty, joy and memorable experiences accessible to everyone.”
The tree lighting ceremony on opening night, Thursday, November 13, 2025 will be live streamed for people around the world to enjoy. Catch the show at youtube.com/@distillery_to from 5:30 p.m - 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Distillery Winter Village 2025 Program Guide
OPENING NIGHT & TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY
Thursday, November 13 at 6:00 p.m., Santa flips the switch and lights up Canada’s most iconic Christmas tree. The evening will feature a special performance by The Tenors, immediately following the lighting. All ticket profits from opening night support local charity partners. Tickets are required.
SHOW-STOPPING LINE-UP OF PERFORMANCES AND HOLIDAY MUSIC From choirs and carollers to musical theatre stars and family sing-alongs, this year’s schedule offers something special for every kind of visitor. Performances are free with admission.
Performance Highlights
Canadian Opera Company – December 5, 7:00 pm; & family-oriented show December 6, 3:30 p.m.
Past Canadian Opera Company (COC) Ensemble Studio artists, COC Teaching Artists, and close opera friends of the COC present a beautiful holiday evening performance; alongside a reimagined musical exploration of Ezra Jack Keats’ timeless classic, "The Snowy Day".
A Super Simple Christmas with Caitie & Tobee! – November 17-20, 3:00 p.m.; December 10-12, 3:00 p.m.; and December 15-17, 3:00 p.m.
A joyful sing-along featuring favourites from Caitie’s Countdown to Christmas and classic carols like Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Plus, meet Caitie & Tobee on November 17 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. and December 17 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. and visit the Super Simple Pop-Up Shop for exclusive holiday gifts on select days.
STRANGER THINGS 5 IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Netflix is thrilled to bring Canadian fans an exclusive Stranger Things immersive experience at The Distillery Winter Village. To celebrate the highly anticipated final season, Netflix invites visitors to step inside the supernatural heart of Hawkins, Indiana for a photo op straight out of the show. Get ready to relive one of the series’ most iconic, spine-tingling moments as you stand in the legendary recreation of the Byers’ living room, complete with the haunting alphabet wall and the show’s signature string of Christmas lights. This is a pop-culture pilgrimage that puts you directly inside the scene that started it all.
Stranger Things 5 will debut in three volumes this fall: four episodes on Nov. 26, three episodes on Christmas Day, and the finale episode on New Year’s Eve. Each volume releases at 5:00 p.m. PST.
THE PURA VIDA CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY VISIT COSTA RICA
Escape to the land of pura vida - “the good life” - and the warmth of Costa Rica. The Archeo patio transforms into a tropical chocolate paradise, where guests can sip hot chocolate served in fresh coconuts topped with whipped cream, try the decadent “mochanut” (a blend of coffee and hot chocolate, also served in a real coconut), dip into tropical fruit fondue, and sample premium chocolate. Enjoy your drink at vibrant surfboard tables, then unwind in bird-nest loungers beneath a symbolic ceiba tree, surrounded by rainforest scenery where sloths, parrots, and tree frogs make an appearance. For kids, there's a creative colouring station inspired by Costa Rica’s iconic hand-painted oxcarts.
SANTA’S VILLAGE
This year, Santa’s Village inside Soulpepper Theatre has a magical new look inspired by Bad Hats’ Narnia (an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s beloved story about the mystical land of Narnia). Children and families can enter through the wardrobe into a blue and silvery winter wonderland, take a photo with Santa and his elves, and even encounter Narnia characters.
FESTIVE FOOD AND DRINK
With 40 food vendors and nine themed outdoor bars, there’s something to delight every taste bud.
Three new foodie experiences:
SHOPPING & HOLIDAY GIFTS
Visitors can explore 85-plus year-round retailers, plus vendor cabins offering handmade holiday gifts and one-of-a-kind finds.
HOLIDAY PHOTO OPS
Pose in front of the centrepiece Christmas Tree and capture these can’t-miss holiday displays: the 80,000 dangling white lights at the Naughty or Nice Bar, the Heart of Christmas display, Santa’s sleigh and reindeer, the Candy Cane Wreath, and the famous Countdown to Christmas clock - plus hundreds of thousands of holiday lights strung across the site.
Professional photos by the Christmas Tree will be offered for purchase by The Photo Spot.
TICKETS AND PLANNING YOUR VISIT
Tickets are required for peak times, including: Opening Night; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4:00 p.m.; Thursdays in December after 4:00 p.m.; and daily from December 15 - 31; and for New Years Eve. Kids aged nine and under are always free. For ticket details, visit TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com. Tickets start at $15 (plus service charge and HST), and visitors can choose between four different tiers of tickets, including a combo ticket to see Illuminiarium’s new immersive show, Mythos.
ABOUT THE DISTILLERY WINTER VILLAGE
The Distillery Winter Village is Toronto’s original outdoor Christmas market, set within The Distillery Historic District. Recognized among the best Christmas markets in the world, it welcomes more than one million visitors each year from across Canada and abroad. For seven weeks each winter, the neighbourhood transforms into a festive destination featuring its famous Christmas tree, seasonal vendor cabins, festive performances, and themed food and beverage experiences. The event employs more than 700 seasonal workers and raises funds for local charities. For more information and tickets, visit TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com.
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Visit The Distillery Winter Village media resources hub for images, fast facts and more about the history of the event: thedistillerywintervillage.com/media-resources
For more information, to schedule an interview or visit, please contact:
Laurie Weir & Will Lamont
Next Public Relations Inc.
laurie@nextpublicrelations.com / will@nextpublicrelations.com
TORONTO, September 17, 2025 – Christmas may still be months away, but Toronto’s original and world-famous Christmas Market is already counting down to opening night. The Distillery Winter Village returns November 13, 2025 - January 4, 2026, and tickets are officially on sale today at www.TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com.
Set against the backdrop of Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, The Distillery Winter Village transforms 13 acres of cobblestone streets and Victorian industrial architecture into a magical wonderland filled with holiday lights, carollers, photo ops, festive food and drinks, and one-of-a-kind shopping from local artisans. One million visitors from around the world are expected this season, making The Distillery Winter Village one of the most popular holiday destinations of its kind.
The 2025 season kicks off Thursday, November 13 at 6:00 p.m. with the most anticipated holiday tradition in the country - the lighting of Canada’s most iconic Christmas tree. A crowd of thousands will join Santa in counting down before he flips the switch and officially opens Toronto’s world-famous Christmas Market. Opening Night is a ticketed event and profits support local charities. At the end of the season, the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to be used as mulch for 60 homes being built in 2026.
Highlights include a new Santa’s Village (with a Narnia-inspired theme), Santa and his elves, roaming carollers, themed outdoor cocktail bars, the famed countdown clock, and vendor cabins filled with gifts and festive treats including the return of viral favourites like the Cluny s’mores hot chocolate. The full line-up of entertainment, holiday photo ops, and surprise performances, including Boxing Week and New Year’s Eve celebrations, will be announced in October.
“We know it’s early to be talking about the holidays, but we wanted to give Toronto an early Christmas present by launching tickets today so everyone can start planning their visit,” said Rik Ocvirk, Vice President, The Distillery Restaurants Corp. and Director, Experiences and Events, The Distillery Historic District. “Many of The Distillery Winter Village favourites are back this year - from Santa’s Village to the Naughty or Nice Bar to our famous photo ops; but we’ve also got some exciting new experiences in store that we can’t wait to share when we announce the full line-up next month.”
Tickets are required for peak times, including: Opening Night; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4:00 p.m.; Thursdays in December after 4:00 p.m.; and daily from December 15 - 31. Kids aged nine and under are always free. For ticket details, visitors should check the calendar at www.TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com.
Tickets start at $15 (plus service charge and HST).
The Distillery Winter Village is Toronto’s original and world-famous outdoor Christmas Market, set in the historic backdrop of The Distillery Historic District in Toronto, Ontario. It has ranked among the Best Christmas Markets globally and attracts one million visitors annually from around the world. For over seven weeks from mid November to early January each year, The Distillery Winter Village transforms The Distillery Historic District into a magical winter wonderland filled with its famous centrepiece Christmas tree, Santa and his Elves, thousands of holiday lights, dozens of vendor cabins, festive fare, and themed bars. It employs over 700 seasonal workers and raises funds for community charities. For more information, visit www.TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com.
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Visit The Distillery Winter Village media resources hub for images, fast facts and more about the history of the event: https://www.thedistillerywintervillage.com/media-resources
Media contact:
Laurie Weir / Will Lamont
Next Public Relations Inc.
laurie@nextpublicrelations.com / will@nextpublicrelations.com