Toronto's Gothic Revival landmark Casa Loma is rolling out its annual holiday takeover from December 4, 2026 to January 2, 2027, split into two separate experiences: a daytime programme called Christmas at the Castle and an after-dark light show across the grounds called Holiday Lights.
By day, the castle's historic rooms get the full seasonal treatment, with a new lineup of designer trees as the centrepiece. Designer Jane Lockhart's red-and-gold "A Christmas in Full Bloom" anchors the Great Hall, while the mezzanine hosts a Harry Potter-themed tree complete with a life-size Dumbledore stationed on the railing. Other rooms get individual treatments: Desta Ostapyk dresses Sir Henry Pellatt's bedroom, David Dunkley fills a second-floor hallway with black-and-white top hats, and Cori Halpern blends Christmas and Hanukkah in the Serving Room.
The entertainment roster leans heavily local this year. Community choirs from Toronto schools, churches and music schools will perform daily inside the castle — a new addition for 2026. Families can also expect roaming mimes, festive mascots, a returning acrobatics act called the Jambo Brothers, Santa's Workshop, and a letter-writing station for the North Pole.
After 5:30 p.m., the grounds take over. Holiday Lights runs Friday to Sunday for the first two weekends (December 4–6 and 11–13), then nightly from December 18 through January 2. Expect glowing tunnels, twinkling displays, fire performances from a busker known as Fire Guy, and walk-through sets themed around Whoville and Scrooge's house. New for this edition: outdoor screenings of classic holiday shorts like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman in front of the pavilion, with inflatable seating. An outdoor market sells maple syrup and popcorn, and there's a gift shop on site.
Pricing is straightforward but worth planning around. Each experience costs $45 per person plus fees on its own. A same-day combo — upgrading a daytime castle ticket to include the evening lights — adds $25 for dates up to December 19, or $30 after. VIP packages for two include a gift bag plus food and drink tickets. Daytime hours run 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the lights run 5:30 to 8 p.m.
For anyone visiting Toronto in December, this is one of the city's most reliable festive outings — an actual castle, indoors and out, close enough to downtown to pair with other holiday stops like the Christmas market in the Distillery District. Book early for the mid-December weekends, when the combo ticket is cheaper and the lights are at their busiest. Credit: Curiocity.
