101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in Toronto - 2023
KidsOutAndAbout is the GTA's online guide to everything for kids, teens, and families! The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many of the local options require reserving ahead of time, and please keep in mind that events could be canceled... so click through to make arrangements. Enjoy the holidays!
If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Mindy Mangan at mindy@kidsoutandabout.com. Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!
If you don't already receive our free weekly e-newsletter for Toronto, sign up today to make sure you're in the know about free stuff, festivals, classes, camps, vacation ideas, and all the best events near you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas below for holiday family fun in 2023!
Santa Sightings
| Nov 17 - Dec 23, 2023 (select dates) | Pictures with Santa - Canada's Wonderland Winterfest |
| Nov 17 - Dec 23, 2023 | Visit with Santa - CF Sherway Gardens |
| Nov 17 - Dec 24, 2023 | Photos with Santa - Dufferin Mall |
| Nov 18 - Jan 7, 2024 | Photos with Santa - Winter Festival of Lights |
| Nov 18, 2023 | 29th Nightime Santa Claus Parade - Brampton |
| Nov 18, 2023 | Santa Claus Parade - Oakville |
| Nov 18, 2023 | Santa Claus Parade - Town Of Newmarket |
| Nov 18, 2023 | Santa's Parade of Lights - Oshawa |
| Nov 19, 2023 | Country Heritage Holiday Market & Halton Buttertart Festival - Country Heritage Park |
| Nov 24 - 25, 2023 | Family Holiday Photos with Santa - Bradley Museum |
| Nov 24 - Dec 23, 2023 (select dates) | Visit Santa - Brooks Farms |
| Nov 25 - Dec 23, 2023 | Visit Santa at Magical Christmas Forest - Kortright Centre for Conservation |
| Nov 25 - Dec 17, 2023 | Christmas at the Farm - Downey's Market |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Santa Claus Parade - City of Pickering |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Santa Under the Stars Parade - Aurora |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Markham Santa Parade - Main Street Markham |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Santa's Spectacle of Lights - Town of Ajax |
| Nov 25- Dec 23, 2023 (select dates) | North Pole Experience & Train Ride - York-Durham Heritage Railway |
| Nov 26, 2023 | Oringinal Santa Claus Parade - Toronto |
| Dec 1 - 23, 2023 | Santa's Village - Holiday Fair in the Square |
| Dec 1, 15, 2023 | Storytime with Santa - The Silo Grill |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Winterdown Kids' Day - Waterdown Village |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Annual Etobicoke Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade - Etobicoke |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Whitby Santa Claus Parade - Town of Whitby |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Breakfast with Santa & The Mayor - Event Centre Lasalle |
| Dec 2-22, 2023 (select dates) | Santa at the Village - Black Creek Pioneer Village |
| Dec 3, 2023 | World's Biggest Christmas Party - Variety Village |
| Dec 3, 2023 | Santa Claus Parade- Downtown Burlington |
| Dec 8,9,15,16,22, 2023 | Santa Meet & Greet - Queen Victoria Place |
| Dec 9,10, 16, 2023 | Breakfast with Santa & Mrs. Claus - Royal Botanical Gardens |
Old Time Christmas |
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| Nov 23, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Botanical Train Display - Royal Botanical Gardens |
| Nov 24, 2023 - Jan 31, 2024 | Window Wonderland 2023 - The Junction |
| Nov 25 - Dec 23, 2023 | Magical Christmas Forest - Kortright Centre for Conservation |
| Nov 25,26, Dec 2,3,9,10, 2023 | A Storybook Christmas - Pickering Museum Village |
| Dec 2023 - Jan 2024 (select dates) | Christmas at the Castle - Casa Loma |
| Dec 2, 2023 | A Main Street Christmas - Schomberg Village Association |
| Dec 2,9,16, 2023 | Festive Nights - Black Creek Pioneer Village |
| Dec 10, 17, 2023 | Chrsitmas in the Woods - Westfeild Heritage Village |
Light Displays
| Nov 3, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Illumi Mississauga - Mississauga, Ontario |
| Nov 15, 2023 | Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration - CF Sherway Gardens |
| Nov 17, 2023 - Jan 6, 2024 (select dates) | Christmas Light Show - Canada's Wonderland Winterfest |
| Nov 17, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Safari Lights - Safari Niagara |
| Nov 18, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Winter Festival of Lights - Niagra Falls, Ontario |
| Nov 22 - Dec 17, 2023 | Festival of Trees - The Family Lobby at BPAC |
| Nov 23, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024(Thurs-Sun) | Winter Wonders - Royal Botanical Gardens |
| Nov 24, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Winter Wonderland Spectacular - The Distillery District |
| Nov 24-25, 2023 | Winter Nights, City Lights - City of Pickering |
| Nov 24, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Holiday Lights Heritage Nights - LaSalle Civic Centre |
| Nov 24, 2023 | Festival of Lights - Main Street Markham |
| Nov 24 - Dec 30, 2023 | Winter at Angus Glen - Angus Glen |
| Nov 24, 2023 - Jan 8, 2024 | Burlington Festival of Lights - Spencer Smith Park |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Light Up the Square - Mississagua Celebration Square |
| Nov 25, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Cavalcade of Lights - Nathan Philips Square |
| Dec 1, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Holiday Nights of Lights - Scarborough, ON |
| Dec 8 - 17, 2023 | Mississauga Festival of Trees - Small Arms Inspection Building |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Farmers' Parade of Lights - Main Street Schomberg |
| Dec 2, 2023 | 28th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Holiday Market - Westwood Park, Oakville |
Living Nativities
| Dec 9 -24, 2023 | The Christmas Story - The Church of the Holy Trinity (online & on-demand) |
| Dec 24, 2023 | Christmas Eve Live Nativity with Animals - Bethlehem on Yonge |
Holiday Theatre
| Nov 13, 2023 | Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland - Living Arts Centre |
| Nov 24 - 26, 2023 | The Nutcracker - Oakville Centre, AEG Liebherr Auditorium |
| Dec 2, 2023 | State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine: The Nutcraker - BPAC |
| Dec 1 - 23, 2023 | Holiday Performances Holiday Fair - Nathan Phillips Square |
| Dec 1 - 16, 2023 (select dates) | A Christmas Carol - Scarborough Theatre Guild |
| Dec 3, 2023 | The Nutcracker - Living Arts Centre |
| Dec 6 - 22, 2023 | A Christmas Carol - Campbell House Museum |
| Dec 8-10, 2023 | Wonders of Winterland: Dance + Circus at the Garden - Toronto Botanical Garden |
| Dec 16, 2023 | A Christmas RockStory - Paramount Fine Foods Centre |
| Dec 22 - 29, 2023 | Rapunzel A Holiday Pantomime - The Oakville Centre |
Holiday Concerts
| Nov 29, 2023 | TSO - Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty - Royal Thompson Hall |
| Dec 2, 2023 | St. Michael's Choir School Annual Christmas Concert - Massey Hall |
| Dec 3, 2023 | The Barra MacNeils - An East Coast Christmas - BPAC |
| Dec 6, 2023 | The Andy Kim Christmas - Massey Hall |
| Dec 6, 2023 | Christmas with the Clemons - Roy Thomson Hall |
| Dec 7, 2023 | TSO- Home Alone in Concert - Roy Thomson Hall |
| Dec 11 - 13, 2023 | TSO Holiday Pops - Roy Thomson Hall |
| Dec 9, 2023 | Merry Motown Christmas Special -BPAC Main Theatre |
| Dec 8 - 30, 2023 | The Nutcracker - National Ballet of Canada |
| Dec 12, 2023 | Elivis: A Christmas Special - AEG Liebherr Auditorium |
| Dec 14, 2023 | An Andrean Christmas - Roy Thomson Hall |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Disney in Concert: The Muppet Christmas Carol - Meridian Hall |
| Dec 16, 2023 | MSO:Merry Little Christmas - Living Arts Centre |
| Dec 18, 2023 | The Tenors - Roy Thomson Hall |
| Dec 19 - 22, 2023 | Messiah - Roy Thomson Hall |
| Nov 17 - Dec 31, 2023 (select dates) | Holiday Music & Live Shows - Canada's Wonderland Winterfest |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Good Lovelies Christmas Concert - Massey Hall |
| Dec 20, 2023 | Sounds of the Season and More - Burlington Performing Arts Centre |
| Dec 22, 2023 | A Merry Motown Christmas - Living Arts Centre |
Christmas Tree Experience
| Open Nov 18, 2023 | Pick Your Own Tree - Hockley Valley Farm |
| Open Nov 24, 2023 | Pick Your Own Tree - Clembrook Christmas Tree Farm |
| Open Nov - Dec 2023 | Pick Your Own Tree - Horton's Home Farm |
| Open Nov - Dec 2023 | Pick Your Own Tree - Horton's Magic Hil Tree Farm |
| Dec 2022 - select dates | Pick Your Own Tree - Albion Orchards |
Ice Skating
| Nov 1, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024 | Snow Flake Lake Ice Skating - Canada's Wonderland Winterfest |
| Now - Dec 2023 (select dates) | Public Skating - Ajax Community Centre |
| Nov 25, 2023 - March 2024 | Public Skate - Alexandra Park |
| Nov 25 -March 2024 | Public Skate - Christie Pits Park |
| Dec 2023 - March 2024 | Outdoor Skating Rink - Evergreen Brick Works |
Hanukkah
| Dec 7, 2023 | Public Menorah Lighting - Mel Lastman Square |
| Dec 10, 2023 | Hanukkah Wonderland - Jewish Russian Community Center of Ontario |
| Dec 11, 2023 | Menorah Lighting Ceremony - Aurora Town Hall |
| Dec 12, 2023 | Celebrate Hanukkah - Ajax Town Hall |
Shopping & Craft Fairs
| Nov 5, 2023 | Holiday Pop-Up Market - Dufferin Mall |
| Nov 18, 19 2023 | Holiday Marketplace - Toronto Zoo |
| Nov 24 - Dec 17, 2023 | Holiday Night Market Sundays - Town of LaSalle |
| Nov 24, 2023 | Winterdown Lights and Market - Waterdown Village |
| Nov 24 - 26, Dec 15- 17, 2023 | Toronto Botanical Garden Holiday Market - Toronto Botanical Garden |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Christmas Fun Fair & Market - Cornerstone Market |
| Nov 25, 2023 | 50th Annual Deck YourHalls Bazaar and Craft Show - Pickering |
| Dec 1,3, 8, 10, 2023 | Aurora's Christmas Market - Town of Aurora |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Schomberg Christmas Market - Schomberg Community Hall on Main St. |
| Dec 1-2, 2023 | 10th Annual Leslieville Christmas Pop-up Market - Leslie Grove Park |
New Year's Eve
| Dec 31, 2023 | Ajax Family New Year’s Eve Party - Ajax Community Centre |
| Dec 31, 2023 | Lasalle NYE Drive-In Fireworks - Vollmer Complex |
| Dec 31, 2023 | Family First Night - Aurora Family Leisure Complex |
| Dec 31, 2023 | New Year's Eve 2024 - Celebration Square |
Miscellaneous
| Nov 25 - Dec 10, 2023 (select days) | A Storybook Christmas - Pickering Museum Village |
| Dec 3, 2023 | A Holiday Open House - Toronto's First Post Office |
If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!
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