Christmas is just around the corner, and whether or not you celebrate, it’s time to figure out how all the upcoming holiday hours and closures might shake up your plans in Toronto.
Whether you’re scrambling for last-minute groceries, looking for fun things to do in Toronto, or just need to know what’s open on Christmas, having the details handy is a must.
Toronto pretty much shuts down on Christmas Day — it’s a federal and statutory holiday, after all — but don’t stress! Some essential spots like certain grocery and liquor stores, shopping malls and attractions will still be open to save the day, and we dug around to find all of them so you don’t have to.
Christmas Eve, meanwhile, isn’t an official holiday, but plenty of places in Toronto will be running on reduced hours, and we’ve got the scoop on what time shops and services across the city are shutting their doors, so you’re not caught off guard.
As for Boxing Day, it’s a bit of a hybrid — it’s recognized as both a federal and Ontario statutory holiday, but it’s also one of the biggest shopping days of the year, so a bunch of shops that would normally be closed on stat holidays will be open (many with extended hours, which we’ve also rounded up for you).
From grocery stores and liquor to malls, government services and popular attractions, here’s the full breakdown of what’s open and closed in Toronto on December 24, 25 and 26, 2024 — including info on Costco, Walmart, LCBO, Canada Post, the TTC, ServiceOntario and more.
Grocery stores
December 24 (Christmas Eve):
- Costco: All locations across the GTA will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Farm Boy: All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Metro & Food Basics: Most locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can check the Metro and Food Basics websites for your local store’s hours.
- Sobeys & FreshCo: All Sobeys and FreshCo locations in Toronto will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for the Sobeys at Yonge & Ballio (6 a.m. to 7 p.m.), Rosebury Square (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Bloor & Islington (8 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
- Whole Foods: All locations in the GTA will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Walmart: All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for the Gerrard Square location, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December 25 (Christmas Day): Most major grocery chains will be closed on Christmas Day. However, here are a few places you can go if you need something on the holiday:
- Rabba: All Rabba locations in Toronto and the GTA are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including all stat holidays.
- Shoppers Drug Mart: Many locations will be open with varying hours. We recommend calling your local store before heading out as the hours on the website have not been amended to holiday hours as of the time of publishing.
- Summerhill Market: All six locations are open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Eataly: All three locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
December 26 (Boxing Day):
- Costco: All regular warehouses will be open 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Scarborough Business Centre will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Farm Boy: All stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Metro & Food Basics: Most locations will be open with modified hours (mostly 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). You can check the Metro and Food Basics websites for your local store’s hours.
- Sobeys & FreshCo: Most locations had not posted their Boxing Day hours yet at the time of publication — you can check the Sobeys and FreshCo websites to find your local store’s hours. However, a spokesperson told Narcity that the Sobeys at High Park would be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and that many FreshCo locations would be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Whole Foods: All locations in the GTA will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Walmart: All locations in Toronto are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., except for the Gerrard Square location, which is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Loblaw did not respond to Narcity’s request for information on the holiday hours at Loblaws, No Frills, Your Independent Grocer, Real Canadian Superstore, Fortinos, Valu-mart and Zehrs. Most locations appear to be closed on Christmas Day, and you can check your local store’s website for more information on its specific hours.
Liquor stores
December 24 (Christmas Eve):
- LCBO: Most locations close at 6 p.m. You can visit the LCBO website for specific store hours.
- The Beer Store: All locations will close early at 5 p.m.
- Wine Rack: A spokesperson told Narcity that “most stores should be operating on regular hours” on non-stat holidays like Christmas Eve, but as the website doesn’t show holiday hours as of the time of posting, you may want to call your local store to check before heading out.
December 25 (Christmas Day): All LCBO and The Beer Store locations in Toronto will be closed on Christmas Day. Most Wine Rack stores are also closed, with a few exceptions:
- Danforth & Main (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
- Danforth & Carlaw (12 to 8 p.m.)
- Queen & Tecumseth (12 to 8 p.m.)
- Roncesvalles (12 to 8 p.m.)
- Bloor & Bathurst (12 to 8 p.m.)
- Church & Wellesley (12 to 8 p.m.)
- Yonge & Erskine (12 to 8 p.m.)
- Dundas & Jopling, Etobicoke (12 to 8 p.m.)
December 26 (Boxing Day):
- LCBO: Select stores are open. Visit the LCBO website for specific store hours.
- The Beer Store: Select locations in Toronto will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
- 452 Bathurst St.
- 904 Dufferin St.
- 2625A Weston Rd.
- 2153 St. Clair Ave. W.
- 1530 Albion Rd., Etobicoke
- 1718 Wilson Ave., North York
- 6212 Yonge St., North York
- 3130 Danforth Ave., Scarborough
- 2727 Eglinton Ave. E., Scarborough
- 3561 Lawrence Ave. E., Scarborough
- 2360 Kennedy Rd., Scarborough
- 871 Milner Ave., Scarborough
- Wine Rack: Open with varying hours. Contact your local store to confirm its hours before heading out.
Shopping malls
Most malls and shops in Toronto are closed on Christmas Day and have modified hours on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. If you need a last-minute gift or want to shop the sales on Boxing Day, here are a few places that will be open.
December 24 (Christmas Eve):
- Toronto Eaton Centre: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Scarborough Town Centre: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Yorkdale Shopping Centre: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Fairview Mall: Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sherway Gardens: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Toronto Premium Outlets: Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December 25 (Christmas Day):
- Pacific Mall (Markham): Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 26 (Boxing Day):
- Toronto Eaton Centre: Open 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Scarborough Town Centre: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Yorkdale Shopping Centre: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Fairview Mall: Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sherway Gardens: Open 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Toronto Premium Outlets: Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Services
TTC: Toronto’s subways, streetcars and buses will be operating on a Sunday schedule on Christmas Day and a holiday service schedule on Boxing Day. You can find more information on the TTC’s holiday service page.
Canada Post: Canada Post is closed on national, provincial and territorial holidays. That means there is no collection or delivery of mail happening on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. However, post offices operated by private businesses may be open if their host businesses are.
Banks: All banks are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Service Canada: Closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
ServiceOntario: Locations are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but some ServiceOntario services are available online, so you can still renew your driver’s license, licence plate, health card and more.
Things to do
If you’re looking for something to do over the holidays, the following Toronto attractions are open on all three days — including Christmas Day:
Ripley’s Aquarium: Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on December 24 and 25, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the 26th.
Toronto Zoo: Open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Christmas Day, and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Boxing Day.
Casa Loma: Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days.
Cineplex: Theatres are open throughout the holidays with varying hours based on movie showtimes.
High Park Zoo: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year. However, note that High Park is closed to vehicles on holidays.
Riverdale Farm: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year.
City of Toronto skating rinks: Many are open — you can check the schedules on the city website here.
Allan Gardens and Centennial Park conservatories: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year.
Happy holidays, Toronto!