On Wednesday, December 16, I joined a few girlfriends for a trip to the Christmas Market in Toronto’s Distillery District. If you haven’t been to the Distillery District before, I seriously recommend a trip – at any time of year! But if you haven’t been during the holidays, I’m not sure we can be friends until you promise to check it out.

We started our night at one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto, El Catrin. El Catrin is good for any season since they have a spacious, beautiful patio and the decor inside is fascinating . It’s a Mexican spot that boasts an authentic menu with tons of options. Their dishes are made for sharing so keep that in mind when you’re ordering.

Courtesy of El Catrin

If you love tequila, tacos, skulls or good music, this is a spot for you.

Courtesy of El Catrin

For a more Christmas-y (yes, it’s a word) feel, we sat outside on the patio and enjoyed mulled wine and ciders. El Catrin’s patio is fully heated with large lamps and fire pits and it’s a great place to sit down before, after or during the Christmas Market.

After enjoying a few drinks at El Catrin, we braved the crowds of the Christmas Market. For the first time this year, the Market is charging $5 for entry on weekends with the hope of discouraging crazy crowds from last year that actually made the event unsafe for attendees. Even though we were there on a Wednesday night, the Christmas Market was still super busy.

One of the best parts of the Christmas Market is how photogenic it is, I can only hope to one day look so great in pictures. The GIANT tree is spectacular, with countless lights . I’m not too sure who decorates it or how, but I’m thoroughly impressed and will survive with this remaining one of the great mysteries of my time. I’m just going to assume it was the Bumble from Rudolph.

There are couples EVERYWHERE and memories being made (and documented through a steady stream of selfies). We even saw a proposal! No photos of that since I believe some things are just meant to be witnessed, not documented…. funny belief for someone who has started a blog to document some of their favourite moments, I know.

Although it was chilly when we attended, we stayed for just over two hours. That’s probably all the time you need for sightseeing unless you’re planning on doing some serious shopping at the vendors or having a full meal outdoors.

If you love the holidays or are looking to beef up your Instagram with some holiday scenery, this is your best bet. But, if you’re also looking for a cheerful, bustling place to get cozy with loved ones, I think you’ll love it at the Christmas Market.

The Christmas Market in the Distillery District was Officially Loved, Actually.