Toronto, Nov. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This evening at The Distillery Historic District in Toronto, over 6,000 attendees brimming with holiday cheer counted down to help Santa light up the 2024 Christian Dior Parfums Holiday Tree, marking the official start of The Distillery Winter Village. Considered Canada’s top holiday market, The Distillery Winter Village is expecting one million visitors from around the globe this season.
The majestic, 55-foot-tall silver fir tree is the must-see Holiday Tree in Toronto this holiday season. The design features the golden holiday motif created for Dior by Italian artist Pietro Ruffo, and transports onlookers to a myriad of lights and a glowing sun-star masterpiece. With more than 70,000 dazzling lights and 1,000 custom 3D Dior fragrance bottle decorations and ornaments, the installation is an invitation to rejoice in a magical, never-ending winter. It’s estimated that more than 4,000 hours of dedicated craftsmanship went into designing this tree.
“We’re thrilled to welcome visitors back to Toronto’s premier outdoor holiday market, The Distillery Winter Village,” says Rik Ocvirk, Vice President of The Distillery Restaurants Corp. and Director of Experiences and Events. “From the breathtaking, picture-perfect Christmas tree to whimsical experiences that celebrate our collective holiday spirit, over 50 seasonal vendor cabins including dozens of food options and holiday-themed outdoor bars, this year’s event is all about creating memories and moments you can’t find anywhere else.”
Running daily through January 5, 2025, visitors can shop for everyone on their list, savour delicious market fare, meet Santa and his cheerful elves, enjoy caroller sing-alongs, and explore exciting new holiday-themed photo ops.
People are encouraged to take public transit, a rideshare service or bike/walk to The Distillery Winter Village as parking is extremely limited due to construction and development in the area. For details, see here.
2024 event highlights
A Taylor-Made Christmas – With Taylor Swift in Toronto for her Eras Tour, The Distillery Winter Village has created a “Taylor-Made Holiday Hunt (Distillery’s Version)” where fans can participate in a seven-stop QR code scavenger hunt and snag a friendship bracelet. Decode the secret message along the way for a chance to win a Taylor-Made Holiday gift bundle. This experience begins at the information booth at the Mill St. entrance, where participants will be directed to “Taylor’s Guitar” for their first clue. Plus, Swifties can pick-up Taylor Swift-themed sugar cookies from our Sugar & Iced vendor, while supplies last. A Taylor-Made Christmas is available only while she’s in town; from November 13 to November 24. For more information, visit https://taylor.thedistillerywintervillage.com.
Santa’s Village – Located inside the cozy Soulpepper Theatre atrium, Santa’s Village offers kids a warm spot to meet Santa and enjoy a hot chocolate by New York City’s famed Color of Chocolate. Be sure to check out Santa’s schedule before you plan your trip.
North Pole Post – Kids can pen their letters to Santa and post them in a five-foot-tall British-style mailbox, sealing their spot on the ‘nice’ list. Letters must be posted to the North Pole by December 6 to receive a response from Santa by Christmas.
Eataly Holiday Market – Located on the lower-level of Got Style at 21 Trinity St., Eataly opens its Holiday Market for the first time at The Distillery Winter Village. Discover gifts for everyone on your list with panettoni and pandori (Italian holiday cakes), gift boxes, and Eataly favourites. For a sweet treat, enjoy piped-to-order cannoli. Eataly’s Holiday Market will be open Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., and Friday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Holiday Portrait Studio (for Pets and Families) – Capture a picture perfect holiday memory with professional keepsake photos at our new vendor, Pawpin’ Clicks. Perfect for pets, couples, families, and friends! Pre-book and walk-ins welcome. Book your session here.
Naughty or Nice Bar – Keeping everyone warm and cozy this year, the 45-foot heated tent offers festive cocktails like mulled wine and hot sangria and food vendors under a stunning new holiday-themed décor.
Carolers and Singing Sheep – Join The McGregor Carollers as they perform traditional holiday favourites. Lyrics will be projected on the Spirit of York wall so everyone can sing along. And don’t miss The Alpine Merry Sheep Choir (a singing sheep quartet performing in English and French) as they prance around the site Sunday afternoons bringing smiles to everyone’s face.
New Holiday Photo Ops – Take your photo in a candy-cane red, vintage Santa’s sleigh – complete with bells and eight reindeer or step into a Northern Canada-inspired winter wonderland with light projections that simulate the Aurora Borealis.
The VISIT FLORIDA activation area will be located on the Archeo patio just inside the north gate entrance, showcasing Florida inspired food and custom cocktails and mocktails. This vacation inspired experience will provide warmth and southern holiday vibes.
Please see the complete program guide to The 2024 Distillery Winter Village for more information, including details about the outdoor New Year’s Eve bash hosted by Devo Brown of Breakfast Television and DJ Clymaxxx of KiSS 92.5.
Ticketing Information
Visitors can choose from four ticket tiers to best suit their needs, ranging from $15 – $39.50 (no increase from last year): General Admission, Flex, Express and a Combo Ticket with Illuminarium’s Winterland show.
Profits from opening night ticket sales benefited three local charitable partners: The Anishnawbe Health Foundation, Soulpepper Theatre, and The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund.
Tickets are required Thursday to Sunday after 4:00 p.m. and daily from December 16 – 31 after 4:00 p.m. Any other time, entrance is free. Kids aged nine and under always enter for free.
For ticket and event information, visit www.TheDistilleryWinterVillage.com.
Images can be found in this Google Drive folder.
About The Distillery Historic District
The Distillery Historic District opened in 2003 and is today widely regarded as Canada’s premier arts, culture and entertainment destination. It’s a national historic site, originally founded in 1832, brimming with creativity and creative people, that can inspire dreams and help them come true. The 13-acre walking district is a dramatic fusion of old and new. An inspired blend of the largest collection of Victorian Industrial architecture in North America and stunning 21st century design and creativity. The result is an internationally acclaimed village of 85+ one-of-a-kind stores, shops, galleries, studios, restaurants, cafés, theatres and more, which was named one of The Coolest Shopping Districts Around the World by The Guardian. Visit www.thedistillerydistrict.com for more information.
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