Whether you are a local or a tourist, these holiday markets are a great way to support local businesses and neighbourhood creative artisans. But, with so many different options, it can be tricky to know which markets are worth visiting. So I’ve put together this helpful list of the best Toronto Holiday Markets you won’t want to miss during this beautiful time of year!

Toronto Holiday Markets

1. The Distillery Winter Village
2. One-of-a-Kind Winter Show
3. Swedish Christmas Fair
4. Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market
5. Toronto Botanical Garden Holiday Market
6. Toronto Artisan Market
7. Holiday Fair at Nathan Phillips Square
8. Stackt Holiday Hills
9. Evergreen's Winter Market

The Distillery Winter Village

When you visit the Distillery District during the holidays, you will feel like you are in a winter wonderland! The Distillery District is one of Toronto’s most charming spots. Built in 1832, the old Gooderham and Worts Distillery has been preserved to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The cobblestone streets and restored Victorian Industrial buildings have been transformed into a pedestrian-only neighbourhood with amazing restaurants, cozy bars and unique boutiques. 

And there is no better time to visit the Distillery District than at Christmastime! The entire neighbourhood is converted in November into the Distillery Winter Village. The streets are transformed with millions of twinkle lights and bright Christmas baubles. Wooden market stalls pop up to mirror those traditional European Christmas Markets. It’s a great spot to do some holiday shopping! The market hosts over 65+ unique and local shops, artisans, restaurants and cafés. So whatever you’re looking for, you most likely will be able to find it here!

Hours & Admission

The market opens on November 17th, and the event’s last day is December 31st.

Tickets are required on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4:00 PM and December 27-31 after 4:00 PM. At all other times, access is free of charge and tickets are not required. Your ticket time window indicates what time you can enter the distillery. But there is no limit to your visit duration. 

The market is always packed on the weekend after 4 PM, hence the requirement for ticketing so they can control crowd levels. If you can go during the week, this will be your best chance to visit when it’s less busy. I always advise going during the week if you can.

Tickets are $11 + HST each. Kids 9 and under are FREE of charge.

Address: 55 Mill St, Toronto

One-of-a-Kind Winter Show

The One-of-a-Kind Show is an arts & crafts fair held a few times a year in the huge Enercare Centre within Exhibition Place. Every year at Christmas time, over 600 artists from across the country gather to sell their handmade goods. This is often my favourite spot to shop for Christmas presents and unique seasonal decor. The stuff you find here, you won’t find anywhere else! It’s nice to have such one-of-a-kind pieces of festive decor that your friends and family will be in awe of this Christmas.

With over 600+ vendors, you can wander the floor for hours. Just admiring all the incredible things people can create! Sometimes it feels more like going to an art gallery than a craft show! But here, you can actually afford most of the art you see on the walls! 

Hours & Admission

November 24 – December 4 | Weekdays & Saturdays: 10am to 9pm | Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Late Night Hours: December 1, 10 AM-11 PM

Tickets: $23 Adults | $17 Seniors | $17 Youth 5-17

Address: 100 Princes’ Blvd #1, Toronto

Swedish Christmas Fair

The Swedish Christmas Fair was always one of my favourite events in Toronto! I sorely missed it when it was closed in 2020 and 2021. But I rejoiced when I heard it would be back in 2022! The Swedish Christmas Market is hosted by SWEA Toronto. This adorable marketplace features Swedish designs, products and folk art that will surely add some Scandinavian flair to your holiday decor. I fondly remember my trip to Stockholm at Christmas and all the wonderful Christmas markets. But being back at the Swedish Chrismas Fair in Toronto feels like being right back there, without ever having to get on a plane.

Be sure to stop by the cafe to get a hot plate of meatballs and lingonberry jam. There are also many events throughout the day, like a St. Lucia procession, Swedish Folk Dancers and Swedish Christmas Singers. It’s a great event to learn more about Swedish Christmas traditions. But my favourite part? The traditional Glögg, which is Swedish mulled wine. This beverage is the perfect drink to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. M

Hours & Admission

November 19 – 20, 2022 | 11 am – 4 pm | FREE Admission
Address: 585 Dundas St E, Toronto

Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market

Most people who visit Toronto rarely experience the east end of the city. The downtown core definitely hogs all the attention. But in my opinion (and I suppose I’m biased since I live here), this is a sorely overlooked part of town. The east end is full of charming architecture, a laid-back atmosphere and fantastic shopping and restaurants. But to find all that east-end energy in one place, you should head to the Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market. The market is held every weekend in December. It features 30-40 local artisans and east-end businesses selling all the best Christmas goodies! Plus all sorts of handmade items, perfect for your Christmas gift list. In addition to the shopping, there is also a hot chocolate bar, a chance to meet Santa, ornament-making workshops and a children’s craft corner! Something for everyone

Hours & Admission

Address: 911 Queen St East, Leslieville
Dec 3-4 | Dec 10-11 | Dec 17-18 | FREE admission

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Toronto Botanical Garden Holiday Market

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option for your Christmas Shopping, you should check out the Annual Toronto Botanical Garden Holiday Market. Over 65 local vendors come here to showcase their planet-friendly and botanically-themed festive products. If you love nature-based decor, this is the place to go. Everything from handmade real Christmas wreaths, seasonal plants, and vibrant poinsettias. There are even rare flower bulbs to give as gifts, great for planting in the spring! There are also Holiday Decor Demonstrations where you can learn how to make gorgeous floral arrangements! Something that will impress all your friends and family when they see it on the walls. And don’t forget to grab a fresh hot drink or light bite over in the charming Bloom Cafe!

Hours & Admission

Friday, November 25, 2 to 8 pm | Saturday, November 26, 10 am to 4 pm | Sunday, November 27, 10 am to 4 pm.
If you buy your tickets in advance, they are $10 per person. Tickets cost $15 at the door, so it’s best to buy them in advance to save some coins!
Address: 777 Lawrence Ave E, North York

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Toronto Artisan Market

The Toronto Artisan Market is a non-profit organization ​that supports and benefits local artisans and the neighbouring community. Every year, the organization hosts a holiday market at the Twist Gallery on Queen Street West. Everything from holiday gifts to original art, handmade jewelry, skincare, ceramics, home goods and more can be found here. One of the best places in the city to shop for the most uniquely creative gift options! Even if you have no idea what to get someone for Christmas, this is the place to get inspired. You’ll be amazed at what you find and how happy you will be to discover the perfect something for that special someone you didn’t even know they needed!

Hours & Admission

Saturday November 19th – Sunday November 20th | 11 am to 5 pm
Free Admission + Pet Friendly
Address: 1100 Queen St W, Toronto

Holiday Fair at Nathan Phillips Square

Every year, Nathan Phillips Square is a hub of Christmas activities and transforms into a magical winter wonderland. It is one of my favourite places to come at the start of the season to get into the Christmas spirit. And this year, their holiday fair has returned once more! This fantastic market is entirely free and open almost every day of the week! In addition to the fantastic vendors, there is a mesmerizing winter carnival with an old-fashioned carousel, carnival games and more! It is the perfect place for the kids to get that memorable meet-and-greet with Santa! And for the adults, there is the Polar Point bar. This holiday cocktail bar features seasonal favourites like mulled wine, hot apple cider, seasonal beer, liquor, and wine.

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The brilliance of this market is the number of food trucks there selling delicious treats for you to enjoy! Potato Twists, Korean fried cheese, hot dumplings and Tiny Tom’s Donuts are just some Toronto street food classics you can get here at the market. Exhibiting the creative flair and cultural diversity of our city is of the utmost importance at the Holiday Fair at Nathan Phillips Square.

Hours & Admission

December 2nd to December 23rd (Closed Mondays)
Tuesday to Thursday – 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Friday to Saturday – 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Sunday – 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Address: 100 Queen St W, Toronto

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Stackt Holiday Hills

Stackt Market is North America’s largest shipping container market and is located in the heart of Toronto’s downtown. Literally stacked up, one on top of the other, a series of recycled shipping containers are now home to various shops and restaurants. Everything from microbreweries to local artisans. It is also a relaxed place to go and get some of the most incredible views across the city. Pop-up vendors arrive at the holiday market during the festive season. They join various Christmas workshops, winter games, and festive experiences like the giant inflatable Santa’s Village! Their fire pits are the perfect place to relax with friends while keeping warm under a picturesque snowfall. There is also an ironically Canadian s’more station! Perfect to nosh on a delicious sweet treat while enjoying the magical ambiance all around you.

Hours & Admission

November 18 – December 31, 2022
Gates Open: 9 am – 11 pm | Stores Open: 12 pm – 8 pm | Restaurants Open: 12 pm – 11 pm | Free Admission
Address: 28 Bathurst St, Toronto

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Evergreen’s Winter Market

Evergreen Brick Works is one of those Toronto landmarks we all have fond memories of since it hosts some of the city’s best events! The former brick-making factory along the Don River has been transformed into one of the trendiest outdoor events spaces in the city! Evergreen prides itself on building sustainable practices that enable flourishing cities of the future. This year, after some closures during 2020 and 2021, they are hosting their Festive Winter Market again. This one-day-only event features everything from a delicious food court, a charming skating rink to immersive hikes along their wintery trails. And, of course, lots of vendors selling sustainably produced and handmade items along with artisan and vintage items. This is the place to experience a variety of classic Canadian Christmas traditions in one spot!

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The firepits light up at night, and you can grab a winter-inspired cocktail from the bar to enjoy while relaxing in the warmth. The skating rink is open all night, and under a swath of twinkle lights, it is something out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. At 7 pm, the space comes alive with live music, so grab your loved one and hit the dance floor! While many think Evergreen Brick Works is a little out of the way for tourists to easily visit, thankfully, the Evergreen Shuttle is back! This shuttle bus really helps make the journey as seamless as possible. Simply ride the subway to Broadview Station and hop on the shuttle. It runs every 30-45 minutes from the parkette north of the subway.

Hours & Admission

December 18th | 11am-5pm & evening activities from 6pm-9pm
Free and open to the public
Address: 550 Bayview Ave, Toronto

Hopefully, these Toronto Holiday Markets are the perfect place for you to check off all the items on your Christmas list! Let me know in the comments what you’re searching for this holiday season!

Happy Travels, Adventurers

The post All the Best Toronto Holiday Markets you Need to Explore This Festive Season! first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

For all the moaning we locals might do about the cold weather, there is something magical about that first snowfall that sparkles at night when the Christmas lights are all aglow. Celebrations during the holiday season erupt across the city. Even hidden parts of the town come alive during this festive time. From light displays to holiday art markets and other events, there seems to be no lack of things to do around Christmas time. So, if you’re lucky enough to be in T.O. during the holidays, I’ve narrowed the list down to only the best of the best of Toronto at Christmastime.

Table Of Contents

1. The Distillery Winter Village
2. Christmas at Casa Loma
3. St. Lawrence Market
4. Kringlewood
5. One-of-a-Kind Winter Show
6. Nathan Phillips Skating Rink
7. Hudson's Bay Windows
8. Black Creek Pioneer Village Christmas
9. Swedish Christmas Fair
10. Campbell House Museum Immersive 'Christmas Carol'
11. Kensington Market Lights Festival
12. Miracle Bar Toronto
13. Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market
14. Nutcracker Ballet

The Distillery Winter Village

When you visit the Distillery District during the holidays, you will feel like you are in a winter wonderland! The Distillery District is one of Toronto’s most charming spots. Built in 1832, the old Gooderham and Worts Distillery has been preserved to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The cobblestone streets and restored Victorian Industrial buildings have been transformed into a pedestrian-only neighbourhood with amazing restaurants, cozy bars and unique boutiques. 

And there is no better time to visit the Distillery District than at Christmastime when the entire area is converted into the Distillery Winter Village. The streets are transformed with millions of twinkle lights and Christmas baubles. Wooden market stalls pop up, and the entire place feels like a European Christmas Market in downtown Toronto. It’s a great spot to do some holiday shopping, listen to carollers wandering down candlelit alleys and just soak up the gorgeous architecture while sipping on a warm hot chocolate!

Dates & Tickets

The market opens on November 17th, and the event’s last day is December 31st.

Tickets are required on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after 4:00 PM and December 27-31 after 4:00 PM. At all other times, access is free of charge and tickets are not required. Your ticket time window indicates what time you can enter the distillery. But there is no limit to your visit duration. 

The market is always packed on the weekend after 4 PM, hence the requirement for ticketing so they can control crowd levels. If you can go during the week, this will be your best chance to visit when it’s less busy. I always advise going during the week if you can.

Tickets are $11 + HST each. Kids 9 and under are FREE of charge.

Christmas at Casa Loma

One thing you might not expect to find in the middle of Toronto is a castle! But here it is, Casa Loma! Ok, it might not technically be a real castle since those need to be permanent residences for nobility or royalty. But Casa Loma has, since its inception, been colloquially called “Toronto’s Castle.” Casa Loma was built in 1911 by financier Sir Henry Pellatt. Pellatt bought up some of the most prestigious real estate in Toronto, high atop Spadina Road, looking out over the city. He wanted to design a house that resembled an old European gothic mansion. And the result was the biggest private residence ever constructed in Canada! While the exterior is definitely a marvel, the stunning interiors are just as, if not more, impressive. And today, the old residence serves as a historical monument and a popular wedding venue!

Christmas at the Castle

Visitors can explore Casa Loma’s gorgeous interiors every December and experience a palatial seasonal event. Personally, I think there is no better time to visit Casa Loma. This palace was built to host a glorious Christmas spectacle. With its soaring interior, the great hall features a 40-ft tall Christmas tree covered in the finest decorations. Celebrated Canadian interior designers from all over the country are invited to Casa Loma to decorate one room each for the holidays. Each one is as unique as the next and so interesting to see everyone’s different take on holiday decor.

If you bring the kids, you’ll be able to see Santa in his castle workshop and even talk to some of his elves. My favourite part is grabbing a cup of hot cocoa, exploring the illuminated gardens, and listening to the live music playing throughout the day. Simply magical.

Casa Loma Tickets

Ticket prices start at $30 and vary throughout the week. The best advice is to book your tickets in advance as certain busy times will sell out.

St. Lawrence Market

St. Lawrence Market is one of the most popular foodie destinations in Toronto. It originated as a small public market in 1803 but grew in size and eventually expanded in 1814 into the building you see today. It is Toronto’s “temple of food,” with over 120 vendors selling everything from fresh produce to meats, cheeses and other specialty items.

The market is all decked out for the holidays during the Christmas season. Bells are hung from the ceiling with care, and twinkling illuminated snowflakes decorate the brick walls outside. Since Toronto is such a multicultural city, the market is filled with seasonal treats from all over the world! It’s a fantastic place to try Christmas classics from Canada and beyond! Plus, beautiful seasonal gifts to bring home for your loved ones. The gingerbread men as always a hit with the kids!

Market Hours:

South Market is open Tuesdays – Fridays – 9am to 7pm, Saturdays – 7am to 5pm, Sundays – 10am to 5pm, and is closed on Mondays. The farmer’s market is held Saturdays from 5am to 3pm.

Kringlewood

As a Torontonian, I love to encourage more tourists to visit a local neighbourhood and simply wander the streets. This becomes even more interesting during the winter as you can admire the incredible Christmas displays certain neighbourhoods put on. It almost feels like a competition, with one house always trying to outdo another.

But with a city as large as Toronto, where do you go? I’ll tell you where Kringlewood. Better known as Inglewood Drive, this quiet, tree-lined street is located just south of St Clair Avenue East. But at Christmas time, the area transforms into ‘Kringlewood‘ by the massive inflatable Santas that decorate almost every house on the street.

It all started in 2013 when one resident put up her 14-foot inflatable Santa. People found the adorable guy a simple way to decorate for the holidays. Other houses on the street followed suit, putting up their matching Santa. Before they knew it, almost everyone on the street had one, and it was a sea of Santa. Eventually, the craze caught the eye of people from outside the neighbourhood. Visitors began coming in from all over the city to see what the fuss was about. Today it is almost a Christmastime landmark in Toronto. 

One-of-a-Kind Winter Show

The One-of-a-Kind Show is an event in Toronto that occurs throughout the year that is a big hit with locals, and tourists often miss out on it! This giant craft and artisan show happen inside the Enercare Centre, within Exhibition Place. Every year at Christmas time, over 600 artists from across the country gather to sell their handmade goods.

This is often my favourite spot to shop for Christmas presents and unique seasonal decor you won’t find anywhere else! It’s amazing how long you can spend wandering around the vendors here. Just admiring all the incredible things people can create! Sometimes it feels like going to an art gallery, but here, you can actually afford most of the art you see on the walls! 

Hours & Admission

November 24 – December 4 | Weekdays & Saturdays: 10am to 9pm | Sunday: 10am to 6pm | Late Night Hours: December 1, 10 AM-11 PM

Tickets: $23 Adults | $17 Seniors | $17 Youth 5-17

Nathan Phillips Skating Rink

Nathan Phillips Square is one of the most iconic sights in Toronto. It stands in front of our rather obtrusive-looking City Hall. But thankfully, the Skating Rink out front is always so beautifully decorated for Christmas that it makes up for that brutalist architecture. The square also features the famous “Toronto” illuminated sign that everyone needs to get their picture in front of to say they actually were here! A giant Christmas tree is erected every year outside the City Hall, making the square a lively and charming place to visit during the holidays.

During the wintertime, the skating is open to the public. There is a skate rental on the premises, so you don’t need to have your own skates to slide around the rink! Even if you’ve never skated before, the atmosphere here is so friendly, and you can go at your own pace. They even play Christmas music throughout the day, so you can really get into the Christmas spirit while on the ice!

Hours & Prices

November 27th – March 20th, 10am – 9:45pm Everyday
Rates: Children 12 and under: $10.00 | Adults: $15.00 | Helmets: $5.00 | Hats and Mitts: $5.00
Prices are based on a 2-hour rental.

Hudson’s Bay Windows

Founded in 1670, Hudson’s Bay is a Canadian shopping staple. And every year, when they unveil their holiday window displays, people always flock to see them. It’s a tradition for many to bundle up and head over to Yonge & Queen to walk around “the Bay” to see their Storybook-inspired Christmas displays. Many Torontonia makes this a Christmas tradition, bringing the family down to admire the incredible artistry. So much so that they have red velvet ropes outside the windows to better allow people to line up and see them like a museum exhibition. If you’re in the area, this is definitely a must-see piece of Toronto!

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Black Creek Pioneer Village Christmas

As a young kid, Black Creek Pioneer Village was somewhere we were dragged to on field trips. And I don’t think I ever really appreciated how cool it was. But as an adult who loves history, I love a walk back in time through this charming open-air heritage museum. At Christmas, the entire park is transformed. A sea of Christmas lights blankets the old farm. Warm, roaring fireplaces make for a cozy escape from the cold. And old-fashioned oil lamps are hung in the holly and ivy-covered windows along the dirt pathways.

Their ‘Festive Nights’ allow visitors to explore the park in the evening and enjoy live entertainment and delicious holiday treats. Discover a variety of traditional holiday tales, take part in an enchanting Yuletide Ball, or create old-fashioned handmade ornaments to take home and deck your halls. Try your hand at Victorian parlour games while sipping on a piping hot chocolate. You can even make your own old-fashioned cane to dip inside! If you long to see how the Victorians spent their holiday season in Canada, this is the place to go back and time and discover it for yourself!

Dates & Admission

December 3, 10, and 17, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
General Public $31.45 + HST per adult | $26.79 + HST per child (ages 3 to 14)

Swedish Christmas Fair

The Swedish Christmas Fair was always one of my favourite events in Toronto, and I was so sad when it was closed in 2020 and 2021. But I rejoiced when I heard it would be back in 2022! The Swedish Christmas Market is hosted by SWEA Toronto and features Swedish designs, products and folk art that will add some flair to your holiday decor. I fondly remember my trip to Stockholm at Christmas, which is one way I can feel like I’m back there while never leaving my hometown.

Be sure to stop by the cafe to get a hot plate of meatballs and lingonberry jam. There are also many events throughout the day, like a St. Lucia procession, Swedish Folk Dancers and Swedish Christmas Singers. A great place to learn more about Swedish Christmas traditions. But my favourite part? The traditional Glögg (Swedish mulled wine) is the perfect drink to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

Dates & Admission Information

November 19 – 20, 2022, from 11 am – 4 pm | FREE Admission.

Campbell House Museum Immersive ‘Christmas Carol’

Right off busy University Street is an old mansion hidden behind tall black iron gates. This is the Campbell House Museum, the oldest remaining house from the original Town of York, now what we call Toronto. The house was built in 1822 in high Georgian style for Chief Justice William Campbell and his wife, Hannah. The preserved interiors and furnishings remained a historical example of life in the early days of Toronto in the 19th century. During the Christmas season, the Three Ships Collective’s theatre company enters the house to perform their immersive production of ‘A Christmas Carol.‘

The show is set inside the Campbell House Museum and brings the audience into the world of Victorian England. The Campbell house was built around the same time Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas Carol,’ so it becomes the perfect backdrop for the show. The audience literally follows the crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge on his journey of redemption. The show features magic, music and even the macabre! If you think you know this story, this immersive production will transform how you see it. The shows sell out immediately, so be sure to buy your tickets as soon as they go on sale!

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Kensington Market Lights Festival

Kensington Market is one of the most popular trendy destinations for tourists to discover. This little bohemian neighbourhood is home to eclectic shops, vintage boutiques, delicious bakeries and food stalls! It is a hipster mainstay of the city, but at Christmas time, it is also home to the Kensington Market Lights Festival. The Kensington Market Lights Festival is one of Toronto’s most unique winter festivals. 

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The Kensington Market Lights Festival started in December 1988. The event was inspired by the old traditions of the fiery winter solstice. The night’s event includes an evening of festive celebrations. It all starts with a torchlight procession with a cavalcade of costumed characters. Everything from giant puppets to stiltwalkers and firebreathers. The street closes to vehicle traffic starting at 6 PM when the event begins. The festivities continue across the neighbourhood until late into the evening. There is live music, DJs, and a wide variety of food and drink (my favourite part of a visit to Kensington market!)

Miracle Bar Toronto

Popping up just for Christmas, Miracle Bar is one of Toronto’s most kitschy yet magnetic cocktail bars. The company pops up in various Canadian cities, like Montreal, where they take over a local venue and transform it into a Christmas Wonderland! There is no doubt that this place is Christmas kitschy to the extreme. But if you love the holiday as much as me, you’ll find the kitschiness absolutely charming, and walking inside makes one beam with holiday energy! 

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But it’s not just the festive decor; the drinks menu goes all out to make you feel like you’re at the North Pole! There is something for everyone from the Christmapolitan to the Snowball Ol-Fashioned and the Holiday Spiced Chai. And each drink is served in an adorable seasonal Christmas mug or cup. You can even buy the cup as a souvenir to remember a fun night with friends! In addition, to being one of the merriest places in the city, the organization donates $1 of every drink sold to Nellie’s Shelter. Nellie’s is an organization providing shelter, education and advocacy for women and children in the GTA. 

Open November 18th to December 31st

Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market

Most people who visit Toronto rarely experience the east end of the city. The downtown core definitely hogs all the attention. But in my opinion (and I suppose I’m biased since I live here), this is a sorely overlooked part of town. The east end is full of charming architecture, a laid-back atmosphere and fantastic shopping and restaurants. But to find all that east-end energy in one place, you should head to the Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market. The market is held every weekend in December. It features 30-40 local artisans and east-end businesses selling all the best Christmas goodies and handmade items perfect for your Christmas gift list. In addition to the shopping, there is also a hot chocolate bar, a chance to meet Santa, ornament-making workshops and a children’s craft corner! Something for everyone

Location & Dates

The location has yet to be announced, check website for updates!
Dates: FREE ENTRY Dec 3-4 | Dec 10-11 | Dec 17-18

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Nutcracker Ballet

Another tradition for many families at Christmastime is to go down to Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to see a production of ‘The Nutcracker.’ Marius Petipa‘s beloved classic Christmas story is brought to life on stage by some of the country’s best ballet dancers. It has been playing every year in Toronto since 1995, so for many kids, Christmas isn’t Christmas with going to the Nutcracker with grandma.

It is a joyfully imaginative show about a beautiful nutcracker doll who comes to life by magic on Christmas eve. The magical Nutcracker takes siblings Marie and Misha on a journey into the icy realm of the Snow Queen. And to the fantastic golden palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy! Meeting all sorts of different Christmas characters along the way. Especially if you’re travelling with children, this is a great way to spend a festive evening.

Dates & Tickets

Dates: December 10th – 31st
Ticket Prices range from $55 to $250

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I hope you enjoyed this tour of Toronto’s best Festive Christmas events, activities and sights! I love exploring the city during the holiday season, and there seems to always be something new to discover in addition to the seasonal classics. Tell me in the comments what traditional Christmas events you love to explore every year in your hometown! Or your favourite parts of Toronto during the holidays.

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post 14 Amazing Festive Events You Can’t Miss in Toronto this Christmas first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

But today, when we look at this artwork, we don’t find his images as controversial as they once were. Our modern eyes think of Monet as old-fashioned, and it’s hard to imagine how these paintings once shocked the world. So how can we translate the power these paintings once held to a modern audience? Well, Beyond Monet aims to do just that.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the opening week of Beyond Monet in Toronto. I had previously attended Beyond Van Gogh in Calgary and was excited to see the next iteration from the “Beyond” creators.

About Beyond Monet

Beyond Monet aims to bring guests into Monet’s artworks. It turns you from a spectator into a character within the frame, inside his ethereal world of impressionism. The pictures are brought to life as the paint moves, swirl, and transforms itself around the circular room. The main space where you view the show is located inside a curved room. The design of this room was inspired by the Orangerie Museum in France, where Monet’s large-scale Water Lilies series is on display. His water lilies paintings wrap around the room in that museum, and here they wanted to recreate that effect but with more of Monet’s collections of paintings.

While many people know Monet only by his iconic Water Lillies, what the production really does well is introducing you to a myriad of his other works, central to his oeuvre. The show’s main theme focuses on the controversy that Monet faced when he began his impressionist movement. And Monet was indeed a revolutionary of the art world during his time. The show’s culmination project reviews Monet’s artwork on-screen, which were less than favourable when the impressionism movement began.

But in reality, Monet was a thriving artist in his own lifetime, unlike some other artists who only found success after their death. Monet did suffer greatly in many ways, but he also flourished. Just like the flowers that bloomed in his garden. While they may fade and die in the winter, they come back in the Spring and Summer brighter and more vibrant than ever! In Monet’s full bloom, at the very end of his life, he created the most iconic series of paintings of the 20th century. His iconic waterlilies mural, a dedication to the lost soldiers of WWI.

Access & Admission

Beyond Monet is located at the Toronto Metro Convention Center. The Convention Center is located right beside Union Subway Station and Union Go Station. This makes it extremely accessible by public transit from anywhere else in the city. There are multiple parking lots around the area, ranging in price from $10 to $27/hour. Still, with public transit so easily and cheaply accessible, that is my recommendation. The show is entirely wheelchairs, walkers, and scooter accessible.

The show runs until November 14th, 2021 | Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 10pm | Friday – Saturday: 10am – 11pm

Tickets

There are two tiers of ticketing options. The first is the cheaper option which is offered during off-peak hours (Monday – Thursday). An Adult Timed Entry ticket is $39.99, Children are $29.99, and Students/Seniors are $35.99. During peak hours (Friday – Sunday and holidays), tickets for Adults are $49.99, Children are $29.99, and Students/Seniors are $45.99. Your ticket also is subject to ticketing fees bringing the cost for two people over $100. Because the visit is about one hour in length, this is a pretty costly outing. 

I’ve commented on this before, but I’ll say it again. I really think that the producers of this show need to consider the pricing of these productions. I think the show is fantastic, but not for the cost they are currently offering. A ticket to the ROM is $23, and the AGO is $25, and this institution can provide an entire day’s worth of entertainment. Compare that to a single hour for almost double the price of the Beyond Monet production. For people for whom money is no object, this obviously isn’t an issue. Still, the show is definitely something I wish would be more accessible to a wider audience. I think a pay-what-you-can day would be a great idea to open the show up to more people.

My Honest Review of Beyond Monet

Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies

The introductory room to Beyond Monet features two arched bridges inspired by the famous ‘Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies‘ painting. Hanging from the ceilings around the room are large explanatory panels. This room doesn’t have any real directional flow, so it’s difficult to know where to start or follow the story they are trying to tell. I know many people find it so difficult to read informative panels in any context. But it felt even more difficult here. It’s so important to read these to get a better idea of the story they are trying to tell. This room features the sound of birds chirping, water rushing and the wind blowing through the trees. This is actually one of the most immersive parts of the exhibit, as it sounds like what Monet would have heard while painting in the garden. I just wish the text had been a bit more consumable, concise and streamlined.

The context will help the viewer understand the art more deeply. It makes the show more than just looking at pretty pictures, but understanding who Monet was, his philosophy, why he changed the world of painting and how he saw the world around him. I just wish there had been a way to weave this into the show a bit better, so you didn’t have to rely on people reading every panel to absorb this information. Because let’s face it…they don’t. 

Infinity Room

From the first room, you are lead through a tunnel of streamers into the ‘Infinity Room.’ This room features a large pavilion in the center surrounded by reflective panels on the floor for guests to sit on. The reflective panels are one of the best parts of the room as they act as mirrors and reflect the artwork onto more parts of the room, like drops of rain speckled on the floor. The gazebo surrounded by Monet’s naturalistic images felt wonderfully fitting. Sitting under the awning looking out at the gardens was one of the most entrancing parts of the show.

Immersive Intervention

The production tries to wrap the images around the gazebo roof, but adding projections onto the ceiling means the entire room is more illuminated. You can therefore make out the metal of the lighting rig and other elements which take you out of the immersive experience. It very much feels like you are standing in a convention center. This was perhaps the biggest failing, as it really took you out of the imaginative space. The Van Gogh exhibition had images covering the floor and crawling up the twisting walls. It seems to transform the space differently. I also felt like the score of this production was a bit weak. Van Gogh featured a nice combination of traditional and modern music with great swells and pacing. This score felt a bit lacklustre. As Monet himself was this huge revolutionary, I had hoped the music could have reflected this sense of rebellion. And for the price of the tickets, you’d think they could get some good music rights.

The Collection

What Beyond Monet really does well provides the viewer with such a rich deep dive into Monet’s collection of artworks. Nowhere in the world could you ever have so many different works of Monet together at once. It would simply be too expensive to put on for any museum. The designers of the show do an amazing job of curating various paintings together. They do not appear chronologically but weave together thematically to tell a story all about how Monet saw light and colour. And his emerging dynamic style.

Overall Review

Overall ‘Beyond Monet’ felt a bit rushed. On the heels of the success of ‘Beyond Van Gogh,’ it felt like they really wanted to latch onto the next big thing and ran with the idea. The animations given to the artworks felt a bit unexceptional and simplistic. The train moves on the tracks, the boats bob up and down on the waves and the tree blow in the wind. Pretty typical. While Monet was a revolutionary, the show’s animation definitely felt like it could have pushed the boundaries a bit more. And perhaps with a bit more time, there could have been a bit more dynamism added to the experience.

About Claude Monet

Monet’s Young Life

As is the tale with many famous artists, Monet’s life is marred with death. He was born in 1840 in the heart of Paris. Although the family moved to Normandy in 1845, Paris’s artful heart was etched forever into Monet’s mind. From even an early age, Monet dreamed of being a painter. His father was a merchant and wanted to push Monet into going into the family grocery business. It was Monet’s mother who supported his career as an artist, as she was a singer. Monet’s loving mother died in 1857 when Monet was just 16 years old.

Monet’s father had no way of caring for the children on his own. So Monet’s father sent the children to live with his widowed but wealthy aunt, Marie-Jeanne Lecadre. Although suffering from the loss of his mother, his living situation with Lecadre was fortuitous as she was one of the greatest supporters of Monet throughout his career.

Monet in Paris

When Monet moved to Paris to study in the Académie Suisse. Back then, the most popular style of art was neoclassical paintings. These featured the myths and legends of Greek and Roman gods. If ever artists painted the world around them, it was solemn peasants toiling in the fields. And yet Monet saw a completely different world. Not of the past but over the ever-changing present. His world was modern, full of inventions and vibrant social life. Monet met his lover Camille in 1859 when in Paris. She became his primary model and painted her obsessively throughout this period of infatuation. 

En Plein-Air

While in Paris, Monet also met Renoir, who shared his passion for discovering a new painting style. Together they formed a group of like-minded individuals. This included Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, and Berthe Morisot! A true gauntlet of artists. One of the things these artists all had in common was how they painted. They developed stylistic experimentation called “en Plein-air” or “outside painting.” They abandoned the idea of a stuffy studio and instead brought their canvases outside. This meant smaller canvases and a quicker method of painting that captured a singular moment in time. Monet painted garden scene after garden scene. Women walking through flower encrusted fields or lounging beneath the trees filled his canvases.

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.

Claude Monet

Monet’s Storm

In 1867, Monet and his then-mistress, Camille Doncieux, gave birth to their first child, Jean. Monet’s father was horrified at this birht out of wedlock and immediately cut off any financial support to Monet. The two eventually married in 1870, shortly before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. Wanting to avoid conscription, Monet fled to London and the Netherlands and lived with the family where he could. While in London, he stumbled upon paintings on the nautical paintings of J. M. W. Turner through an art dealer friend of his. Monet was enraptured. He was captivated with Turner’s use of light, or sometimes the lack thereof. Turner knew how to paint the fog. His paintings lacked any crispness and yet held a powerful sense of emotion and depth of curiosity within them.

Relfections on the Thames

Monet himself turned to paint his own series on the Thames river during all different times on the day. Monet’s previous seascapes were rendering of the world, but this series was about rendering emotions. “Merit lies in having painted directly in front of nature, seeking to render my impressions of the most fleeting effects.” He became enthralled with light and how light altered the colour of the world around him. How light could change the perceptions of reality. Nature reflected the brooding of his mind. He also found it important to paint the modern landscape, which contained industrial elements like railways and factories, which were the makeup of the modern world.

In 1874, he bought a boat to sail on the water to make himself one with the world in which he wanted to immerse himself. Monet’s finances were dire. He couldn’t pay for his family’s housing, and the need to sell more paintings became the primary focus of his life.

Paris Debut

In 1874, Monet and his other fellow painters made their debut in the Paris Art Salon, hoping to sweep the art world off its feet. Sadly, their style of painting was roundly rejected. The art critic Louis Leroy wrote a hostile review of Monet’s painting titled ‘Impression, Sunrise,’ where the style and term “impressionism” was coined. The show Beyond Monet seems to focus on these negative reviews. But in fact, there were plenty of progressively who praised the painter’s style and called it a “revolution in painting.”

Monet had hoped to sell ‘Impression, Sunrise’ for 1000 francs and was devastated to find it didn’t sell at all. But only a few years later, in 1877, when he displayed his series of paintings of Gare Saint-Lazare train station, did he find himself back in the good graces of the art critics. It seemed it only took a few years for the idea of impressionism to marinate on the cultural palette and for it soon to overwhelm the minds of people and of the critics.

As their success grew, Monet’s impressionists could experiment with their methods more, creating new and even more abstract ways of depicting reality. It’s almost like with success, Monet abandoned those dark and gloomy tones from his earlier periods in favour of a bright, pastel palette that felt airy and optimistic. His brushstrokes became softer, like the delicate caress of a lover. The strokes were smaller as well, and he would apply layer upon layers of these small strokes to form a new kind of optical depth within his paintings. Like looking through a dense tree, the light dappling through the leaves, revealing a secret garden within.

A Blizzard of Loss

Despite increasing commercial success, Monet would suffer another devastating blow when Camillie died in 1878. As she lay dying, Monet didn’t know how to process the grief outside of his paintings. “I one day found myself looking at my beloved wife’s dead face and just systematically noting the colours according to an automatic reflex.” Many art critics view this painting as one of the best death paintings ever created as the colours. The expressive nature of his brushstrokes seems to communicate to the viewer the “blizzard of loss” so intensely felt by all those who have lost a loved one.

Garden in Giverny

But being a romantic-hearted artist, it didn’t take Monet long to find another object of his affections. He began having an affair with Alice Hoschedé, wife of art collector Ernest Hoschedé. Even though she was still married, the two and their children moved into a house together in Giverny. This house in Giverny where Monet could finally realize his dreams of creating his own “Garden of Eden.” While Monet’s paintings had always focused on nature and gardens, he dreamt of creating one of his own where he could curate the scenes for every season.

Designing the Garden

Through the sale of some of his paintings in America, Monet’s new wealth meant he could have whatever he wanted. He poured through his collection of botany books and gave precise designs and layouts for plantings to his gardeners. At one time, he had as many as seven gardeners working on the project. He purchased more land around the house to develop his water Lillie pond, importing Lillies from as far afield as South America and Egypt.

Although famously Monet told the papers he didn’t even have an indoor studio and was constantly photographed painting outdoors, this was untrue. While he preferred painting outdoors, sometimes this just wasn’t possible, and he had his largest studio yet, built in Giverny. It was a converted greenhouse which meant it was well lit and even contained skylights. In this studio and outside in the garden, he would obsessively paint the water lilies. He painted them continuously for the next 20 years of his life. As his family began to pass away around him, his water lilies remained.

The Cataracts

In 1911 Monet’s second wife, Alice, died along with his oldest son Jean. Following this, Monet began a romance with Blanche, one of Alice’s daughters, but she also passed away in 1914. Blanche has been caring for Monet in his old age and left alone, and in a deep depression, Monet lost the will to paint. It was during this time that Monet began to develop the first signs of cataracts. This not only affected his sight but affected the way his eyes saw colour. You can see in the few paintings he made during this time how dark the hues are. He couldn’t see the light tones. His assistants even had to lay the colours out in a specific order on the palette so Monet could remember what they were.

Despite this being over a hundred years ago, surgery for cataracts was an option. But Monet was terrified of the surgery as he knew of a few botched surgeries that left the patient with no sight at all. But, eventually, the condition got so bad, he resorted to surgery. Thankfully, it was successful, and his sight was restored. When Monet saw the canvases he had made before the surgery, he had most of them destroyed, as he was appalled at what he had been creating.

Waterlillies

With his new lease on life, Monet went back to painting. But this time with one last mission. It was World War I, and his youngest son Michel was sent to war. In his garden in Giverny, Monet could hear the echo of gunfire where he sat. The sound haunted him. He created a series of paintings that would serve as a memorial to the lost soldiers of WWI. These featured his water lilies but also featured weeping willows overlooking the flowers. After exhibiting these paintings, the French government approached him to create paintings for the French public.

Waterlillies for the Orangerie

Monet worked directly with the architect of the Orangerie in Paris to create a special room just for his paintings. Unlike anything he had made before, these would be 8 enormous curved panels that would cover over 200 sq/meters and envelope the viewer. Monet and the architect not only designed the room to be round but also incorporated a large skylight. This skylight would allow the paintings to change as the direction of the sunlight burst through the room. It is now viewed as one of the first art installations.

“Water Lilies’ is an extension of my life. Without the water, the lilies cannot live, as I am without art.”

Claude Monet

The paintings themselves gave the viewer the impression of an endless field of waterlilies. But the water is dark, and if you squint, the flowers are lost and instead, it feels like you are standing in an endless hole. The water is a wave with no horizon or no shore. This was how the soldiers on the battlefield would have felt as they fought in their endless battle. Drowning in the dark, covered in mud and without a sense of hope in sight. And yet here, the flower bloom, a sign of hope. Throughout the room, you can see hints of the weeping willow trees, who mourn for the people Monet has lost over the years as well.

Let me know in the comment if you saw the Beyond Monet exhibit or how you feel about these digital immersive art exhibitions!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post Honest Review of ‘Beyond Monet’, The Revolutionary Impressionist Painter Who Changed the World first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.