Toronto is getting a picturesque winter village in the Distillery District

Toronto's most picturesque winter experience this year won't be the Christmas Market in the Distillery District, but that's not going to stop the historic neighbourhood from having a magical time this holiday season.

The Distillery District is creating a Winter Village on the cobblestones this year as a distanced subsitute for their usual market. The experience will come complete with a giant Christmas tree, canopy of lights and festive music playing throughout the area.

However, the event will still be very different from the Christmas Market.

There won't be any real live music performances or vendor cabins, but the Winter Village is totally free to enter. Pets are allowed, but be careful of restrictions surrounding bringing furry friends to restaurant patios and businesses.

As for COVID-19 precautions, there will be increased signage and cleaning with medical grade products, sanitizer will be widely available and traffic will be monitored (which means entrances may temporarily close at times to reduce crowding). If you're concerned about crowds, try to visit on a weekday when there are fewer visitors.

And if these precautions seem like overkill to you (which they definitely shouldn't), consider that the Toronto Christmas Market typically sees about 700,000 people visit every year during a short six-week period, necessitating the popular event's cancellation for 2020.

The Winter Village can be experienced from Nov. 12 to Mar. 31, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday.

Restaurants, shops and galleries are open in the pedestrian-only Distillery District, meaning this might be one of the most idyllic places to get your shopping done this season.