Staff dressed as Christmas elves in green coats, Santa hats and black boots welcomed visitors to the Toronto Winter Village with the sound of jingling bells.
The village has taken over Toronto’s Distillery District, creating a market full of festive goods, illuminated by glistening Christmas lights.
Shops are set up to have the appearance of a life-sized Christmas village and sell a variety of goods, ranging from Christmas ornaments to fun socks.
One vendor was selling biodegradable greeting cards that contain plant seeds.
“All of our greeting cards are made from plantable seed paper,” Renato Rossi, co-owner of Sow Sweet Greetings explained.
“There are six different types of wildflower seeds within the paper itself, so all of our greeting cards can be planted, and even if they don’t get planted [and] they ended up in landfill, it still will decompose, and flowers might still grow,” Rossi added.
The Village also has many food options, including a pretzel stand, a hot doughnut stand and a variety of dine-in restaurants.
One visitor described her first experience at the Winter Village as one to remember.
“It’s so beautiful, everything is so pretty here, the lights, the view, the vibe, everything is so nice,” Shivani Arora said.
The market will continue running until New Year’s Eve. Entry is free, with the exception of Friday after 6 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday after noon.
For more information on the Distillery Winter Village, visit www.thedistillerywintervillage.com.
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