Welcome, listeners, to Things to Do in Toronto with your globetrotting sports nut Oly Bennet, broadcasting from the 6ix where the winter chill is real, the coffee is hot, and the holiday lights are doing more cardio than half the people in your group chat. Toronto today is brisk, bright, and buzzing with full-on festive energy across the city.

Let’s sprint straight into what’s happening. Casa Loma’s Holiday Lights experience flips the famous hilltop castle into a glowing winter playground tonight, with illuminated gardens, live entertainment, and those legendary tunnels lit up like a fantasy movie set, according to Now Toronto. Over at Roy Thomson Hall, View the Vibe notes the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is performing Home Alone in Concert this weekend, so you can watch Kevin outsmart the bandits while the orchestra absolutely crushes that John Williams score live. If you’re more into block-party vibes, Geary Avenue’s Winter Block Party is turning one of the city’s coolest strips into a kilometre of food, music, and art. And music lovers, take note: local hero Jessie Reyez is on stage at Massey Hall for the second night of her run, bringing big hometown energy. For families and market fans, Gran’ Market: Toronto on Queen West channels a Jamaican Christmas Eve tradition with food, music, shopping, and community spirit.

On the city news front, Toronto’s holiday season means extra action on public transit, with the TTC running more frequent service on major routes around event hubs like downtown and midtown; always check the TTC site or app before you head out, especially if you’re Castle- or Harbourfront-bound. Around town, new and buzzy restaurants are popping up near The Well and along Geary, where spots like General Public have been singled out in national best-new-restaurant lists, making them perfect pre-show or post-skate refuel zones. City guides like Question Miles and My Guide Toronto are also pushing classic seasonal must-dos like skating at Nathan Phillips Square and wandering the Distillery District’s holiday village.

If you’re building the perfect Toronto day, here’s your playbook. Start downtown with a stroll through the Distillery Historic District’s holiday scene, then warm up with a coffee and pastry at a local indie café. Hit an afternoon skate at Nathan Phillips Square or along The Bentway’s trail once it opens for the season, then head up to Casa Loma for the Holiday Lights experience after dark. Night owls, you can finish with a comedy kick at a standup night like Red Flags & Laughs, a free-entry date-night show listed on Eventbrite.

Local tip from your roaming sports weirdo: Torontonians treat streetcars like moving sidewalks with opinions. If you’re hopping on the 501 or 504, stand clear of the doors, tap quickly, and always look for the little hidden gems under the tracks, like tiny bars and bakeries tucked just off the main drag. And fun fact: Toronto’s underground PATH system is one of the largest in the world, so on colder days you can walk for ages downtown without your nose turning into a popsicle.

Before I skate off, keep your eyes on tomorrow: more holiday markets, big concerts like Orchestra Toronto’s Celebrate the Season, and another full slate of festive lights and family fun are lined up, so tune in again for your next-day game plan.

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