Kensington Market Winter Solstice 2025 celebration December 21

2025's Kensington Market Winter Solstice celebration brings back the parade and the Fire Finale in Alexandra Park on Sunday, December 21. The 36th annual solstice celebration in the famous Toronto neighbourhood is an epic event that you should see at least once, just dress warmly and take in all the excitement and sense of community that you find in the market area.

Part of the celebrations is carrying paper lanterns to light the way during the parade, you can purchase them ($30) on the Sunday night from 3 to 6pm at Oxford and Augusta (there was a lantern making workshop on December 13, or make them yourself). You can find them at the lantern sales tent at the previously mentioned intersection and the lanterns themselves are hand-made, illuminated by a candle and come with a carrying stick.

The celebrations start with Indigenous ceremonies and singing, followed by a breathtaking fire breathing exhibition, then the parade complete with giant paper Mache figures and bands heads down to the park.

2018's giant hand goes up in flames

Each year the Solstice organizers create a large, flammable item that the parade circles in the park before they set fire to it, much like a burning man type of spectacle while fire performers put on a continuous show as the fire grows and burns out.

36th Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice schedule
Sunday Dec 21, 2025 from 6 to 930pm

3:30–6:30: Solstice Lanterns for Sale. Oxford St. & Augusta Ave
6:00 PM: Parade Assembly. Oxford St. & Augusta Ave
6:30 PM: First Light. Scenari. Same intersection.
7:00 PM: Parade Kickoff & go with the flow.
Fire Finale at Alexandra Park.

Kensington Market Solstice celebrations 2024

What better way to salute the longest night than to throw a celebration with parades, lanterns and fire breathing? Well humans have been celebrating the solstice for over 12,000 years and it involved a few monoliths and wild parties. Toronto brings that party into the Kensington Market during the December 21st Winter Solstice. Unfortunately it will be one of the coldest nights of the year so far with temps below -15 degrees Celsius and with significant wind gusts that are going to drive up the wind chill values - so dress very warmly people. A glorious sun person shines up the night during the 2023 Solstice celebrations in the photo at top, now here are some photos of the 2024 solstice.

Previous years events in the neighbourhood included lantern making and the burning of a large paper mache structures in Alexandra Park that were lit on fire by the fire breathers while giant puppets were marched through the streets and bands played tunes that filled the streets with melodies. In 2023 the construction work in the park precluded the terminal gathering of the crowds that marched from Kensington Market, down along Dundas Street and into the park - so no burning structure. Hopefully the parade and the burning structure/fire finale will return in 2024. UPDATE: a CBC story tells us that the parade and the fire finale in Alexandra Park will not happen in 2024 and they hope to return to the park in 2025.

Fire breathing during the opening ceremonies at Augusta and Oxford

Celebrating the return of light with a festival in the Kensington began in 1988 and continues in 2024, now the 35th annual festival, starting at the intersection of Augusta Avenue and Oxford Street at 6pm on the 21st. Enjoy the street performances and community involvement in the dark of night as the event continues until 10pm with road closures beginning at 5pm. The crowd was smaller this year as the parades and burning man fire finale in the park were cancelled for a second time. There was also no maps of the event so it was a little confusing and no one seemed to know what was actually planned for the evening.

There was another area near Bellevue Square Park on Augusta Avenue that contained a number of fire performers.

See previous Solstice Celebrations at the following links.

2009 Winter Solstice

2010 Winter Solstice

2012 Winter Solstice

more 2012 Winter Solstice

2015 Winter Solstice 

2016 Winter Solstice

2017 Winter Solstice

2018 Winter Solstice

2022 Winter Solstice

2023 Winter Solstice

Kensington Market Solstice 2024 coming this weekend

This street festival is Toronto's welcome to winter and they invite you to "ignite the longest darkest night" on Saturday, December 21, 2024.

Taking place from 6-10pm the 35th annual festival to honour the winter solstice includes lanterns, large puppets and a little bit of fire. The even5 starts at 6pm at the intersection of Augusta Ave and Oxford Street.

Last year's celebration did not have a parade or the fire finale in Alexandra Park due to construction work in the park, however that was completed in August of this year so hopefully the fire finale is back.

See my 2024 post with updated info.

Kensington Market Winter Solstice Festival 2023

Winter is calling and so is the excitement in one of Toronto's coolest neighbourhoods as the Kensington Market Winter Solstice Festival takes over the night on Thursday, December 21, 2023. This festival, started in 1988, celebrates the return of light and begins at 6pm at the intersection of Augusta and Oxford with crowds gathering together, many with hand made lanterns to watch the opening ceremony. The Phoenix is in full burn in Alexandra Park during the 2022 festival in the photo at top.

Winter Solstice on the 21st will be the longest night of the year and every day after that will have longer periods of daylight until the Summer Solstice hits in June. So to recap: Winter Solstice is the start of winter, winter in Canada is cold, days now getting longer, celebration ensues.

Toronto police will close Kensington Market including Augusta Avenue between College and Dundas Streets between 5pm and 10pm to accommodate the gathering. After the opening the festival will include giant puppet characters and figures by Red Pepper Spectacle Arts, usually followed by fire breathing performance and a parade marching down to the baseball field in Alexandra Park. However, this year, due to construction in Alexandra Park the parade and fire finale will not be held in Alexandra Park. All events will be in the market and will feature 5 separate fire warming stations and I guess people will just be roaming Kensington Market checking out the nights activities which end by 9:30pm.

From Red Pepper's Facebook page, "This year we are reflecting on the warm glow of the hearth and connection to community that expands our sense of belonging. Red Pepper’s hand-made Solstice Lanterns will be on sale during the event, at 160 Baldwin St, as well as offered from our Solstice Lantern Pedicab weaving through the streets, from 6:00pm to 9:30pm. We are adapting to a more intimate street event as the Alexandra Park Revitalization is in its construction stage. The 34th Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice will not hold its Parade through Kensington and Fire Finale, in Alexandra Park."

Festival map from redpepperspectacle Instagram account

You can see my previous post for the 2022 Solstice celebrations at this link.

Kensington Market Winter Solstice 2022

The shortest day and longest night is here as the winter solstice comes to the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday, December 21 (at 4:47pm). In Toronto we celebrate hope and new beginnings with the 33rd annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice festival taking place today between 6 and 9:30pm and includes the Fire Finale! My Youtube video of the parade and Fire Finale can be found here.

The parade gathers at Augusta and Oxford. Dec 21, 2023

Kensington Market, self-described as Toronto's most vibrant and diverse neighbourhood, is bounded by the streets of College, Dundas, Bathurst and Spadina. The parade begins assembly early in the evening and is centered around Augusta Avenue and Oxford Street where the roped off intersection comes alive with an indigenous opening ceremony, paper mache characters, musical bands and exciting fire breathing performances. In the crowds people will be carrying lanterns to light the way, while others will be carrying large paper mache figures on poles waiting for the parade to start around 7pm.

The majestic bird waits for the flames for the fire finale 2023. It is a Phoenix 

Schedule from Red Pepper Spectacle Arts
"All are welcome to the 33rd Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice, on Wednesday December 21st. We are returning to our live, in-person Parade and Fire Finale.
6:00pm Parade Assembly, at the intersection of Augusta Ave and Oxford St.
6:30pm First Light Opening
7:00pm Parade Kick Off
Dress warmly, with glowing adornment and bring a noisemaker to bring in the return to light.
Handmade Solstice Lanterns will be available for sale from 3:00pm - 6:00pm, on Augusta Ave north of Oxford St. Look for the Solstice Lantern Tent.
See you in the parade!"

The parade continues down Augusta Avenue, turns west on Dundas Street West and enters Alexandra Park and ends at the baseball diamond. The diamond is roped off and in the centre will be the large paper mache art installation that will be lit on fire and burned to ashes while fire performers twirl and dance as they put on a great show. The night is truly spectacular. The Phoenix is lit on fire at 8:15pm.

The Phoenix is engulfed in flames

You can see some photos of past Winter Solstice festivals on the following posts: 

2009 Winter Solstice

2010 Winter Solstice

2012 Winter Solstice

more 2012 Winter Solstice

2015 Winter Solstice 

2016 Winter Solstice

2017 Winter Solstice

2018 Winter Solstice

See more of the 2022 Winter Solstice after the jump.

Toronto Winter Solstice Parade 2019

Winter comes back to Toronto December 21st with the shortest day and the longest night. Cripes that's a bad combination, then you throw in low temperatures, yuck. Luckily Red Pepper Spectacle Arts returns with the winter festival, parade and burning ceremony starting in Kensington Market at 6:30pm on the 21st. "Ignite the longest darkest night". Here are some of my photos from the 2018 Solstice.

The gathering starts at Oxford Street and Augusta Avenue where an indigenous drum circle begins the night's festivities. People in horse costumes, stilt walkers, marching bands and lanterns then lead into a spectacular fire breathing show that proceeds the Solstice Parade. You can buy lanterns from 5-6:30pm at 260 Augusta Ave for $20.

That parade full of puppeteers, musicians and visitors start to head out of Kensington Market at 7:00pm as they walk south to Dundas Street and west into Alexandra Park. Members of the final ceremony file into the ball diamond in the park, circling as music plays and the crowd grows. In the centre of the diamond is a large, cardboard structure that is an impressive work of art meant to burn in flames, each year it is a different sculpture.

The start of the fire finale

It really is a unique experience and something that you should try at least once.

Kensington Market Winter Solstice 2018

Winter is coming, winter is coming and it's time to ignite the night in Toronto's Kensington Market. The 29th annual Solstice celebrations, presented by Red Pepper Spectacle Arts, starts with a gathering at Oxford and Augusta at 6:30pm on Friday, December 21, 2018, throw in a fire breathing show, some crazy costumes and then a parade which leaves at 7:00pm heading to a fire finale in Alexandra Park.

The giant hand ready for the fire finale 

See more pics after the jump.