Toronto Christmas Market 2012

I visited the Toronto Christmas Market yesterday and was really pleased to see that there were enough people to have a great ambiance, even on a Monday night. 

There's still time to enjoy the Market. It will be opened Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 9 pm and weekends from 10 am to 9 pm, until Sunday December 16.

For the kids
There's a Santa's Lane, a little outdoor maze of evergreens leading to the Big Guy (bring your camera) and an indoor Elve's station open until 8 pm with some craft activity for the kids (and a large TV screen which was featuring a sports channel when I was there... for the dads?). Note that Santa is in on weekdays from 2 pm to 7:30 pm and on weekends from 10 am to 7:30 pm.

You can check the Event Schedule on their website to see who's performing on their outdoor stage (many performances are presented daily).

There's a small midway offering three different rides ($3 each) and pony rides for $5 (could not get the exact time when they're on site).

Like a Swedish fair
The cute booths spread all around The Distillery give the feeling of a Swedish fair to the whole place. Most of them sell food. Yummy food! Very appealing to any child with a sweet tooth and to anyone with a love for cheese, among other things (there were long line-ups at the Poutine and the Grilled Cheese booths).

Some booths sell Christmas decorations and old-fashion wooden toys. 

Girlfriends outing! 
Considering that I love to shop at Bergo (a great store with an amazing selection of well designed merchandise which also carries many small gift/Christmas stocking options), I'd rather visit the Christmas Market with my girlfriends. We would take our time to visit the other stores (furniture, home decor, jewelry, accessories) and then would stop for a drink by one of the many outdoor fireplaces (Warming Lounges) installed by the restaurants.

Related posts on Christmas fun.

Eaton Centre's new Christmas decorations

Gentle giants are visiting the Eaton Centre during Christmas time. 

Spread around the place, six 2-storey high deer dress up the shopping centre for the holidays. Everywhere you look, you're bound to see at least one of them. See-through and covered with small white lights, they elegantly fill the space.

In the centre of the mall, a tall modern tree is a big hit with all the teens admiring its changing colours and photographing each other next to it. (The new tree replaces the sparkling tree Swarovski had treated us with in the past few years. For a Swarovski tree, you'll have to go to Yorkdale Shopping Centre.)

What about Santa?
Don't look for Santa amidst the deer. They've moved him to the 27th floor (access from Level 3 near Roots). To attend their FREE Story Time with Santa you must pre-register on their website. The activity last between 30 to 60 minutes. They don't offer a picture service. Bring your own camera.

More Christmas-related posts from Nathalie Prezeau.