Clowns, concerts and musicals: Here’s a list of GTA events to celebrate the holidays
Danielle Wade stars in "Chris Mrs." at the Winter Garden Theatre. Max Power/Handout
Feeling stuck in your Christmastime routine? It can be easy to fall into tradition at this time of year, but there are lots of exciting cultural events that offer a new way to celebrate the holidays. Here’s a round-up of some of the Christmas shows and exhibits on offer around the Greater Toronto Area.
- Download our app to get the latest local news on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
A Hallmark-style original musical
“Chris, Mrs.” opened at the Winter Garden Theatre to rave reviews. The original musical is just like the cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies you might be used to watching, but with a catchy score and huge dance numbers. The show runs until Dec. 31. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ with a twist
Ever wondered how old-fashioned movies made their sound effects? “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at Young People’s Theatre in Toronto answers that question with live Foley sound effects in an adaptation of the classic film that’s perfect for kids and their parents. The show runs until Dec. 30. Tickets are available on the Young People’s Theatre website.
A big-budget musical with tap numbers galore
Mirvish Productions brings in a big Christmas musical every year, and 2023 is no different. “42nd Street” features extended dance routines, beloved music, and flashy costumes the way only a Mirvish show can. “42nd Street” runs until Jan. 21. Tickets are available on the Mirvish website.
The Muppets in concert
Arguably the greatest “Christmas Carol” adaptation of all time comes to Meridian Hall on Dec. 16. “Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert” will show the film with a live orchestra playing the score. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.
An award-winning clown show
Slava’s Snowshow bringsa jaw-dropping clown to the Elgin Theatre. Billed as “a caravan of organized chaos,” the Tony Award-nominated and Olivier Award-winning show is an immersive treat for audiences, with mesmerizing special effects. The show runs until Dec. 31 and tickets are available here.
Ringing in the new year with Viennese music and dance
The Salute to Vienna concert, inspired by Vienna’s Neujahrskonzert, is presented annually in numerous cities across North America. The gilded event has been a New Year tradition since 1995, and features cultural offerings in dance, opera and more. The afternoon concert has two locations in Ontario: Hamilton and Toronto. Tickets are available on the Salute to Vienna website.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Toronto Top Stories
-
LIVE UPDATESLIVE UPDATES Toronto under winter weather travel advisory
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING
DEVELOPING UnitedHealthcare CEO shot in Manhattan, gunman flees on e-bike, officials say
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in what investigators suspect was a targeted shooting outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference.
2 Quebec men top BOLO program's latest Top 25 list of Canada's most wanted
Two men believed to be central figures in Quebec’s violent and ongoing drug conflict topped the Bolo Program's latest Top 25 list of Canada's Most Wanted fugitives.
Air Canada to bar carry-on bags for lowest-fare customers
Air Canada plans to bar carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers in the new year.
Warm, wet winter expected in much of Canada, say forecasters
Federal forecasters expect a warmer-than-normal start to winter in most of Canada, with more precipitation than usual in parts of the country.
Sweden and Finland want citizens to be prepared for war. Should Canada do the same?
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches its third year, nearby Nordic countries like Sweden and Finland are preparing their citizens to survive during a military conflict. Should Canada be doing the same?
$80-million jackpot: 2 winning tickets sold in Canada
There are two winners of the $80 million Lotto Max jackpot, Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has announced. The prize will be split between two tickets sold in Quebec and Alberta, respectively.
Watch a woman try to grab a soldier's gun amid turmoil in South Korea
Dramatic video shows a woman grappling with an armed soldier outside the South Korean parliament in Seoul on Wednesday.
Poilievre offers two hours of House time Monday for Freeland to present fall economic statement
In absence of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister confirming a date to present a fall economic statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is offering to give up two hours of scheduled opposition time next Monday to 'tell us how much she's lost control of the nation's finances.'
Dollarama buys land for Calgary warehouse, targets 2,200 Canadian stores by 2034
A new Dollarama distribution centre and a lot more of the chain's stores are headed for Canada over the next decade.
Montreal
-
2 Quebec men top BOLO program's latest Top 25 list of Canada's most wanted
Two men believed to be central figures in Quebec’s violent and ongoing drug conflict topped the Bolo Program's latest Top 25 list of Canada's Most Wanted fugitives.
-
Quebec updates list of 'designated' English speaking, multilingual health centres
Quebec has updated its official list of English speaking and multilingual health centres.
-
Air Canada to bar carry-on bags for lowest-fare customers
Air Canada plans to bar carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers in the new year.
Ottawa
-
BREAKINGBREAKING Ottawa's chief medical officer Dr. Vera Etches to become head of CHEO
Ottawa’s medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches has been appointed as the president and CEO of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
-
2 Quebec men top BOLO program's latest Top 25 list of Canada's most wanted
Two men believed to be central figures in Quebec’s violent and ongoing drug conflict topped the Bolo Program's latest Top 25 list of Canada's Most Wanted fugitives.
-
Woman critically injured in Mooney's Bay shooting, paramedics say
Ottawa police say officers responded to a call for a shooting in the 2800 block of Riverside Drive, near Heron Road, at approximately 10:30 Tuesday night.
Northern Ontario
-
$80-million jackpot: 2 winning tickets sold in Canada
There are two winners of the $80 million Lotto Max jackpot, Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has announced. The prize will be split between two tickets sold in Quebec and Alberta, respectively.
-
Air Canada to bar carry-on bags for lowest-fare customers
Air Canada plans to bar carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers in the new year.
-
Snow-clearing efforts stalled due to tractor-trailers stuck on many roads along Highway 11
Snow-clearing efforts continue on secondary roads that remain closed along Highway 11 on Tuesday.
Kitchener
-
Three youths fall through ice at Cambridge pond
The Waterloo Regional Police Service has issued a public plea after three youths fell through the ice at a Cambridge pond.
-
Air Canada to bar carry-on bags for lowest-fare customers
Air Canada plans to bar carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers in the new year.
-
Fur flies at annual Kitchener Rangers’ teddy bear toss
It was an intense matchup at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium as the Kitchener Rangers took on the Brantford Bulldogs for the annual teddy bear toss game.
London
-
Boler Mountain hopes to debut multi-million-dollar expansion at opening next week
This week’s winter weather has accelerated opening day plans for an expanded Boler Mountain. Since temperatures dropped snowmaking machines have been running most days and every night.
-
Air Canada to bar carry-on bags for lowest-fare customers
Air Canada plans to bar carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers in the new year.
-
Two people sent to hospital, cats rescued from London house fire
Two people have been taken to hospital, and three cats have been rescued after crews were called to a "fully involved" structure fire in east London.
Windsor
-
'We just want to make sure every child is covered': Street Help assisting youth this holiday season
Officials at the Street Help Homeless Centre on Wyandotte Street have posted a list online with first names, ages and genders of dozens of children and teenagers, hoping members of the community can help with Christmas gift donations.
-
34-year-old Chatham woman dies after crash
Chatham-Kent police say a 34-year-old woman has died after a crash in Ridgetown.
-
Missing 14-year-old girl sought by Windsor police
Windsor police are asking for help finding a missing 14-year-old girl.
Barrie
-
Midland man accused of violent sexual assaults denied bail after 2nd arrest
A Midland man accused of violent sexual assaults who was granted bail last month has been arrested again, but this time, he will remain behind bars.
-
Snow hammers parts of Muskoka as residents continue digging out
Cold, wintery weather has landed in the Huntsville and Lake of Bays in Muskoka.
-
What to know for winter curbside collection
Residents in Barrie are reminded that with winter here and snow blanketing the city, curbside collection bins need to be placed at the end of driveways and out of the path of snow removal trucks.
Winnipeg
-
Proposed site for Winnipeg supervised consumption site in the city's core
The province’s first supervised consumption site could soon be located along the Disraeli Freeway in Winnipeg.
-
The Forks offering partial parking ticket forgiveness in exchange for river trail help
Have an outstanding parking ticket from The Forks? You might be able to save a little money.
-
Winnipeg looking for company to process Green Cart organic waste
The City of Winnipeg is searching for a company to process organic waste collected through its upcoming Green Cart program.
Atlantic
-
NEWNEW Body found in burned vehicle in Pictou County identified as missing N.S. woman
Nova Scotia RCMP has identified the bodies found in a burned vehicle in Pictou County last month as a missing Truro woman and a man from Alberta.
-
Maritime weather: Province-by-province of what to expect for snow, rain, and wind Thursday
An early December storm moving across northern New Brunswick Thursday will bring the Maritime provinces a mix of snow, rain, and high wind.
-
N.S. RCMP officer facing additional sexual assault charges
A suspended Nova Scotia RCMP officer facing sexual misconduct charges has been separately charged with another alleged sexual assault from five years ago.
N.L.
-
GivingTuesday: Food banks need help, but charity won't end hunger, advocates say
It's GivingTuesday, and some directors of food banks and anti-poverty groups say the day underlines a conundrum for their organizations.
-
N.L. man not guilty of sex charges, judge cites inadequate police investigation
A Newfoundland and Labrador judge has acquitted a man of six crimes, including sexual assault and sexual interference, citing inadequacies in the investigation by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
-
Newfoundland's LGBTQ2S+ bar paid drag queens $37.50. Tara Nova called them out.
If the screaming crowd in the twinkling Majestic Theatre in downtown St. John's was any indication, Newfoundland drag queen Tara Nova will never have to accept $37.50 for a show again.
Edmonton
-
Suspects in West Edmonton Mall, lounge shootings among Canada's most wanted
Edmonton police on Wednesday released the name and photo of a man wanted across the country for his alleged role in the 2023 shooting at West Edmonton Mall.
-
Edmonton man apologizes in wrong-way crash that killed Toronto woman
The man responsible for a crash that killed a Toronto woman last year faced her family in court on Tuesday.
-
Alberta expanding literacy, numeracy screening to Kindergarten students
The Alberta government is expanding access to early literacy and numeracy screening to kindergarten students in January.
Calgary
-
'Dangerous and unpredictable' Calgary man among Canada's 25 most wanted fugitives
A Calgary man accused of killing a mother of five in a senseless act of violence remains one of the most wanted criminals in Canada.
-
Dollarama buys land for Calgary warehouse, targets 2,200 Canadian stores by 2034
A new Dollarama distribution centre and a lot more of the chain's stores are headed for Canada over the next decade.
-
Southern Alberta man sentenced in 2021 killing
A southern Alberta man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years, less time served, in connection with a fatal attack on Linden Grier more than three years ago.
Regina
-
Is your water changing colour and taste? Don't worry, its still safe
Residents in Regina and Moose Jaw may notice some changes in their water as construction continues at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant.
-
Sask. auditor says high social housing vacancy rates in Regina need to be addressed
Saskatchewan's auditor says Regina had nearly 18 per cent of all social housing vacancies in the province at one point in 2024.
-
Maddox Schultz, 14, leading U18 AAA hockey league in points
Maddox Schultz continues to prove that he can play with the best of the best as the youngest player to suit up for every game for the U18 AAA Pat Canadians so far this season.
Saskatoon
-
'It's just way better': Saskatchewan hockey prospects welcome NCAA eligibility change
A major shift in the hockey world means players can suit up in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) without sacrificing their eligibility to compete in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA).
-
Saskatchewan maintains dismal status as leader in spread of HIV, with no provincial strategy in place
Advocates for Saskatchewan’s HIV-positive residents are calling for a provincial strategy to support those living with the virus, and to help stop its spread.
-
'That's way, way inappropriate': Saskatoon city councillor raises issue with democratic process, clerk apologizes
Before Saskatoon city council unanimously approved the budget, a fiery discussion about the democratic process dominated chambers.
Vancouver
-
New Westminster schools offline as district investigates 'cyber security incident'
CTV News has learned hackers have targeted New Westminster Schools, forcing the district to shut down its networks.
-
Environment Canada warns fog causing near-zero visibility in southwest B.C.
Environment Canada is warning travellers that dense fog is creating near-zero visibility in parts of southwestern British Columbia on Wednesday.
-
Bait package initiative ramped up in New Westminster ahead of the festive season
Thieves in New Westminster, B.C., are being warned to stay clear of people’s porches this Christmas, or they might end up with more than they bargained for.
Vancouver Island
-
Environment Canada warns fog causing near-zero visibility in southwest B.C.
Environment Canada is warning travellers that dense fog is creating near-zero visibility in parts of southwestern British Columbia on Wednesday.
-
Longest continually run Chinese business in North America gets a new owner, preserving bragging rights
In the oldest Chinatown in the entire country sits Loy Sing, a business that holds the title of longest continually run Chinese business in North America. It has now been in operation for 136 years and counting.
-
B.C. friends write and deliver letters from Santa during postal strike
When Tina Marsh realized the postal strike was encroaching on Christmas, she grew increasingly concerned about the kids in her neighbourhood.
