St. Lawrence Market at Christmas: Holiday Shopping and Winter Market Guide

St. Lawrence Market has fed Toronto since 1803, and at Christmas it’s where the city shops for its holiday table. In 2026 there’s an extra reason to go: the City’s free outdoor Winter Market returns to Market Street with local makers, seasonal food, live music and free photos with Santa.

St. Lawrence Winter Market 2026

Detail	2026
Dates	November 19 to December 22, 2026
Days	Thursday to Sunday, plus Monday, December 21 and Tuesday, December 22
Hours	Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Dec 21 and 22, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Where	Market Street, beside St. Lawrence Market (Front and Jarvis)
Cost	Free
Santa	Free photos with Santa, Saturdays and Sundays, noon – 3 p.m.

What you’ll find

• Handmade gifts and artisanal goods from local vendors
• Seasonal food and warm drinks
• Live music and entertainment
• Free photos with Santa on weekend afternoons
• A weekend holiday vendor market with more than 75 makers and vintage sellers, in a large white tent at Jarvis Street and The Esplanade

It’s one of the best free Christmas markets in Toronto, and a good alternative on weekends when the Distillery Winter Village is ticketed.

Holiday food shopping inside the market

Inside the South Market building, more than a hundred vendors sell the ingredients for a Toronto Christmas: butchers and fishmongers taking orders for turkeys, hams and seafood; cheese counters; bakeries with holiday breads and sweets; and specialty shops for spices, preserves and gifts. If you’re cooking, place orders for fresh turkey or a Christmas Eve seafood spread well ahead of the last week. See where to buy a fresh Christmas turkey in Toronto and Italian Christmas in Toronto for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

The market keeps extended hours in the run-up to Christmas and closes for the statutory holidays. Check its official holiday schedule before you go, especially for December 24, 26 and 31.

Make a day of it

St. Lawrence is the natural starting point for a Christmas market day in Old Town Toronto:

1. Late morning: peameal bacon sandwich or a coffee in the South Market
2. Midday: browse the Winter Market on Market Street
3. Afternoon: walk about 20 minutes east along Front Street and Mill Street to the Distillery Winter Village
4. Dusk: watch the Distillery’s lights come on

Our Distillery Winter Village tips explain how to time that visit to avoid ticketed hours.

Getting there

• Subway: King or Union Station (Line 1), then a 10-minute walk east
• Streetcar: the 504 King streetcar to Jarvis Street, then walk two blocks south
• Driving: the market has its own paid parking, which fills early on Saturdays. Transit is easier. See parking and transit for Christmas events.

Frequently asked questions

When is the St. Lawrence Market Winter Market in 2026?

From November 19 to December 22, 2026, Thursday to Sunday, plus December 21 and 22.

Is the St. Lawrence Winter Market free?

Yes. Entry is free and so are the weekend Santa photos.

When can you get photos with Santa at St. Lawrence Market?

Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. during the Winter Market. More options in where to see Santa in Toronto and free Santa photos in Toronto.

Is St. Lawrence Market open on Christmas Day?

No. St. Lawrence Market is closed on Christmas Day, and hours change around the other holidays, so check its holiday schedule before you go. See also what’s open on Christmas Day in Toronto.

See every market in Toronto Christmas markets 2026.