Happy Holidays everyone! We are officially in the holiday season. The time of dazzling lights, wintery snow, and making spirits bright. I’ve been finding many ways to embrace the holiday spirit in Toronto this season, before I head back to BC for the holidays themselves. Read on for a full recap on how I’ve been enjoying holiday spirits in Toronto.

Truthfully, I put off getting into the holiday spirit until a bit later in November/early December. Usually I wait until after my birthday has passed to dive in, and this year was no exception. My work hosted a holiday party at the end of November, which kicked off the celebrations for me. As the days get shorter and darker, embracing the light and joy of the holidays feels even more important. So in early December, I visited the first of many holiday bars, Miracle Toronto. I have visited this bar in the past and liked it because some of the proceeds are given to charity. However, this year my experience wasn’t great: they had a cover charge and the drinks were over-priced. Points for decor, but I wouldn’t recommend it – there are definitely better options in the city.

Unique Shows 🎁

Next, I went to One of a Kind Show in Toronto. I had heard rave reviews about this spot being a great place to find unique treasures, and this was my first year deciding to visit. The entrance fee was very steep and didn’t include anything, which was pretty disappointing. However, I did find a lot of very unique gift options at the show. They had a ton of vendors spanning artists, makers, crafters, and food/drink vendors. I was there for many hours to explore all that the show had to offer! I definitely enjoyed the gifts I found, but it was a pricey outing for sure. I’m not positive I will return again due to the cost, but it was nice to explore as a one-time thing.

Winter Markets 🎄

Visiting the Distillery District was next on my holiday hit-list. I really like the Distillery District in general, and it’s one of my favourite areas to visit during the holidays too. They always host a Winter Market with Christmas vendors, and the big tree is a highlight for sure! I highly recommend visiting during one of the times that they offer free admission, which is what I did for a Monday night. My friend and I lucked out with no entry line and relatively short lines for some of the vendors. It was really fun to explore everything within the district and enjoy the holiday spirit. There are many food and drink vendors, with some gift-purchasing options as well.

For food, I got the Jingle Bao from WuBa Eats and my friend got the Softshell Crab Taco from Japan Taco. Both were a bit on the expensive side but overall worth it for the amount of food you got. Later in the evening, we both got hot chocolate from Cluny’s. Again, a bit on the expensive side, and we found it to be very rich and too much to finish. I recommend sharing hot chocolate if you decide to get it. The main thing we didn’t love was all of the vendors and stores closing down at 9:00pm. It felt a bit early for things to be closing and we didn’t get the chance to see everything that we wanted. Make sure to keep these timelines in mind if you wind up visiting the Distillery District for their Winter Market!

Holiday Bars 🍻

Last but not least, I decided to hit up more holiday bars with friends. Since our first stop at Miracle was a bust, we wanted to check out different spots within the city. My friend created a week-long list of holiday bars for us to check out! The list included Project Gigglewater, Papi Chulo’s, Little Ese, Tipsy Reindeer, and Java Jingle Bar at Little Sister. I visited Little Ese and Tipsy Reindeer, both of which I really enjoyed. Little Ese was a blast for the decor, which was next-level. Their food and drinks were also very tasty and reasonably priced, in my opinion. The service was good and they were very accommodating for our larger group!

Tipsy Reindeer was a great vibe, the decor was poppin’ and all of the staff were friendly and welcoming. Their cocktails were pricey but truly amazing, they were so creative and delicious! The food was over-priced for the portion size, but still really tasty. I’d definitely go back to Tipsy Reindeer for the cocktails and great service. Of the additional bars my friends visited, they really liked the food at Project Gigglewater. If we had to choose, I’d say the best cocktails and service (but most expensive) was Tipsy Reindeer, and the best food was Project Gigglewater. The best overall vibe, and probably reasonably-priced, was Little Ese. Happy holiday bar hopping!

A Break Awaits… ❄️

I’m glad I’ve had the chance to soak up some of the holiday spirits in Toronto. I hope this list helps you to create your own moments of holiday joy and cheer! In a couple of days, I’m heading back to BC to spend Christmas with the family. Shortly after, I’ll be jetting back to Toronto to ring in the new year! 🎉🥂

I am now *officially* signing off for the holidays. See you in 2026, and best wishes for this holiday season! ♥️