Every year, the distillery district puts on their annual Christmas Market. Thankfully, I was home just in time to catch it during the American Thanksgiving long weekend. It is probably one of the most photo-op location in Toronto during the holiday season.  Here you can find every walks of life. From families to groups of friends, all the way to the awkward couples on a first date.  Whoever you end up going with, it is not an event to be missed. 

What I wore

Adjusting to the cold was not fun. I kind of forgot just how cold Canada can be. Or maybe it was the fact that I left Toronto while it was still summer… I picked up this pink wool houndstooth coat on sale at TopShop. I bought it in San Diego thinking it would be perfect for the market. It was unexpectedly cold though, so I did have to wear a warm sweater underneath.

To stay warm, I wore these over the knee boots by Franco Sarto. I found these for a great deal at Marshalls in San Diego. As much as I’d like to get the Stuart Weitzman Highlands, I just can’t justify the price considering it is like two round-trip flights home. These are an amazing alternative for only $60. I’ve searched high and low for good “fakes” that actually reached over my knees and are as tight as possible on my non-existant calfs. It proved to be quite a task actually. The block heels are very comfortable and I was able to walk around the market and Toronto all day. Instead of a purse, I wore my Danier backpack (so that my hands were free to eat chimney staxs and drink hot chocolate).

The Market

The distillery district becomes transformed into winter wonderland. All of the decorations transport you into the Christmas spirit (even though it was still November).

There are tons of stalls equipped with seasonal gifts, food and free samples. (You can definitely find a nice holiday themed candle for the person at work you have no idea what to get. But at least its a nicer candle than from Rexall?)

The one food stall I was very excited to try was the chimney stax. I was mainly excited because it is a traditional Czech dessert (Trdelník). Think of it as a donut without being fried (great for my gastritis). 

I got the classic cinnamon and sugar stax. Both me and my boyfriend got one, but we soon realized we could have easily shared one. The traditional ones you can pick up on any corner in Prague tasted completely different. The stax (trdlo) you find here are significantly sweeter. While I did not order the apple cinnamon, it was still coated in a type of apple jam to adhere the cinnamon and sugar. I was left pretty disappointed, especially considering the long wait in the cold to get one.

You can also find some tacky (but cute) carnival rides at the market. The carousel is really nice to go on because you get a great view of the Distillery District and of the city.

All in all I was so happy that I made it back to Toronto in time to go. If you have the chance to go, it is definitely worth the TTC fare. It is on until December 22nd (I get home from San Diego the 23rd).