Toronto's holiday season is officially switching on, and this week alone the city offers two major tree lightings, a Christmas market inside a luxury hotel, and a stage musical about a grumpy green Grinch. Here's what's on the calendar for anyone in town between Nov. 9 and 13.

The big one is Thursday, Nov. 12, when two landmark lightings happen back to back. At The Distillery Historic District (55 Mill St.), the Distillery Winter Village opens its outdoor shopping and food vendors at 4 p.m., with live sets from singer-guitarist Mo Guzman before Santa flips the switch on a 55-foot silver fir at 6 p.m. Juno-winning Canadian singer Holly Cole then performs songs from her Christmas album. Entry costs $16 plus fees.

Across town at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge St.), the mall's 114-foot tree celebrates its tenth anniversary with a free lighting ceremony, also at 6 p.m. — the tree spans the shopping centre's multiple atriums, so it's visible from several levels.

For theatre fans, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical runs at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre (244 Victoria St.) through Nov. 22, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and a 1:30 p.m. matinee on Wednesdays. Tickets start at $59.

There's plenty for budget travellers, too. The Gardiner Museum (111 Queen's Park) offers free admission every Wednesday after 4 p.m., no registration needed. All ten Toronto History Museums — including Fort York, Spadina Museum, Mackenzie House and Todmorden Mills — are permanently free. Other no-cost options include Trivia Tuesdays at Local in East York (a $100 gift card goes to the winning team), a silent book club at The Well's Wellington Market on Tuesday evening, and the Ritz-Carlton's Curated Holiday Market at EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace (181 Wellington St. W.), open Saturdays 4-11 p.m. and Sundays noon-5 p.m. until Dec. 30.

If you'd rather spend than save, two light-heavy experiences are worth the ticket. At the Toronto Zoo, Glow in the Wild lines a walking trail with more than 2,000 illuminated animal displays and lanterns, running Thursday to Sundays at 5:30 p.m. until Jan. 3 ($38). And CELESTIA, an immersive 45-minute light-and-music show fresh off a summer debut in Denver, launches its Canadian run at the Cathedral Church of St. James (106 King St. E.) this weekend, running until Jan. 31 with tickets from roughly $30 to $75.

For a visitor, this stretch is a sweet spot: the big decorations and markets are up, but you can build a full day of Toronto sightseeing around the free stuff — a museum in the afternoon, a tree lighting at 6, then a stroll through the Distillery District. Book the Grinch and CELESTIA ahead, though; those are the ones that will sell out.