Toronto's Junction neighbourhood is about to look a lot more festive — and a little more futuristic. Window Wonderland, the west-end district's annual open-air art event, returns from November 27 to January 31 with nine weeks of installations, murals and augmented reality, marking its seventh year.

This edition carries the theme Movement + Glimmers, an idea the organisers describe as celebrating the energy of walking the main street and the small moments of joy you stumble across along the way. In practice, that means 32 AR-enabled artworks spread along Dundas Street West: 20 new window installations created specifically for the 2026 season, plus 12 wall murals that stay scannable year-round. Download the free Artivive app, point your phone at a participating window, and the static display animates on your screen — essentially a free, self-guided tech-meets-art walking tour.

The BIA behind the event frames it as a way to keep people out and about during Toronto's bleakest months. "Window Wonderland has always been about finding new ways to experience art, our main street, and each other during the winter months," said Carol Jolly, executive director of The Junction BIA.

Beyond the windows, there's an Indoor Artist Showcase at Latitude 44 Gallery (2900 Dundas St. W.), running November 27 to January 31 during gallery hours, where you can browse and buy work from local artists in a conventional gallery setting.

Live entertainment rounds things out. The McGregor Carolers and the Merry Alpine Sheep Choir perform on select days throughout the run, and Santa himself drops in on December 5 and 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. — at Petty Fine Foods (3077 Dundas St. W., Unit 1) on the Saturday and MEDS Junction Pharmacy (2956 Dundas St. W.) on the Sunday. The full schedule is published online, so it's worth checking before you go if you're chasing carollers or a Santa photo.

For travellers, this is a good excuse to explore a Toronto neighbourhood most visitors skip. The Junction sits along Dundas Street West where it meets Keele, with a solid strip of independent cafés, vintage shops and restaurants — and it's an easy subway ride on Line 2 to Keele or Dundas West stations. Because the AR trail is outdoors and self-paced, it works well as a free evening activity, and pairing it with dinner on the strip makes for an easy winter outing. Just dress for the cold; nine weeks spanning late November to the end of January in Toronto means you could catch everything from mild autumn evenings to proper snow.

If you're in Toronto between late November and late January, it's one of the more creative free things happening in the city this season.