Toronto Christmas Market: A Good Reason To Go Out Into The Cold
The temperatures were steadily dropping but nothing could stop my friends and I from enjoying some outdoor fun at the TORONTO CHRISTMAS MARKET. The trendy Distillery District is transformed into an outdoor holiday bazaar from mid-November until Dec. 23.
The historical district, which has turned into a trendy and artsy area, was once again transformed to accommodate the market. A large Christmas tree was erected amongst sparkling lights that hang from the rafters. 
The pedestrian-only streets swarmed with revelers, and the aroma of mulled wine and freshly-baked goods tickle the senses. Speaking of mulled wine, I was delighted to find it here after years of missing it.
I first tried mulled wine in a Christmas Market in the small town of Fulda in Germany. Because I live in a tropical country, warm spiced wine isn’t really a thing that I can easily find. Luckily, one of the vendors at the market sold mulled wine and cider among other alcoholic drinks. It was a perfect way to get a little bit of warmth as we continued to explore the booths.
There was poutine, raclette, sausages, sandwiches and many other savory food items on offer. However, the smell of cinnamon led us straight to dessert. One of the most popular stalls in the market is the one that sells FRESH BAKED CHIMNEY STAX.
Basically, these are crisp, baked cylinders of a sweet pastry that’s filled with your choice of flavored spreads. Chocolate syrup, nutella and marshmallow spread are some of the most popular fillings.
You can get your chimney coated in cinnamon sugar, chocolate and even candy sprinkles! These originated from a popular European rotisserie baked treat called chimney cakes.
Another popular food item is the smoked turkey leg. Admittedly, we spotted other people walking around with the huge hunks of meat and just had to ask where the stall was. It was tucked away in one corner of the market and we were so glad we asked around for it.
The smoked meat was so tender and flavorful! It was like biting into a leg of ham! What’s even funnier is that people also started asking us where we got the turkey legs. Talk about organic advertising!
The most popular item, bar none would have to be the German sausages. The lines were so long! It moves fairly quickly though, but they ran out of the German schublig sausages by the time we got to the counter. Luckily, their all-beef hotdogs were also great. Shout out to this lovely guy named Mike, who handed me a coupon for a free hotdog. Cheers!
The bars, restaurants and shops in the Distillery District also remain open alongside the Christmas Market. Overall, there’s tons of shopping, eating and drinking that can be enjoyed.
The market gets busy during weekends so they charge a CAD$6 entry free. Because of that, I highly recommend coming during the week when there’s a lot less people and it’s free. I’m looking forward to coming here again in the near future.
Do you have a Christmas Market in your city? tell me about it in the comments and maybe I’ll visit it next winter!