Can’t stop the holiday magic on Queen Street West! Toronto’s historic holiday window displays dazzle once again for the festive season.
The iconic Hudson’s Bay windows, as we all know and love, were a must-see attraction every year. But this holiday season was going to be different. The beloved Canadian shopping destination closed its doors earlier this year, and the fate of its annual holiday tradition seemed unlikely to return.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
Keeping holiday history alive in Toronto
This year, Mars Canada stepped in to keep the magic of the holiday season alive. Ensuring the tradition continues, the windows have transformed into a free, seven-part display storybook experience.
The Wonders of Mars windows are described as a “whimsical, magical depiction of a day in the life of the Mars Elves — the behind-the-scenes creators who help bring moments of holiday happiness to families and pets across Canada.”
You’ll find that each vignette reveals a different moment in the elves’ day. Starting with their morning routine under a Hubba Bubba-pink sky, to working at the Mars Chocolate Factory and freeze-drying Skittles. The displays feel whimsical and familiar, evoking the kind of holiday nostalgia that pulls you back into your childhood.
“As a family-owned company with more than 100 years of history, we know how deeply traditions shape joy and connection,” says Ellen Thompson, General Manager, Mars Wrigley Canada.
“We’re proud to give back to the community by helping continue a holiday tradition that has sparked magic and happiness for families across the city.”
For the Mars team, it was important to honour the legacy of the original displays. They teamed up with the longtime creative director of visual presentation, Ana Fernandes, who led the creation of the Yonge and Queen store’s holiday windows for over 20 years.
“When I was first approached about consulting on holiday windows, my instant thoughts were, ‘this is exciting,’” says Fernandes.
“Mars and their family of brands are a good fit, so ideas immediately started racing in my head. I’m also humbled and honoured that they wanted to weave in the spirit of the nearly 100-year history of the iconic holiday windows – creating them each year was such a joy for me and brings back wonderful memories.”
The Wonder of Mars
Here’s what you can expect to see at this year’s holiday windows, in order from left to right, across Yonge Street:
Hubba Bubba World – Morning Begins
The first window welcomes you into the elves’ morning under a Hubba Bubba–pink sky. See bubble-gum balloons float, delivering supplies, elves sliding down ribbons of Hubba Bubba tape gum, and even more surprises.
Mars Chocolate Factory – Crafting Classics
Next is the elves’ chocolate workshop, where they’re hand-crafting sweet treats like Mars bars. It’s a nostalgic nod to the classic holiday candy-factory windows many of us may remember.
Skittlesland – A Burst of Magic
Head over to Skittlesland, where the elves are creating the new freeze-dried innovation, Skittles Pop’d. There’s a colourful clock that lights up with a fun ‘pop’ animation to bring the product to life.
EXCEL Winter Wonderland – Playtime
Now on their way home from work, the elves pass through an icy-cool EXCEL winter wonderland—sledding, ice fishing, and building gum-snow forts under the northern lights.
Celebration Scene – Holiday Gathering
Finally, the elves come together for a warm holiday meal and celebration. Talk about the perfect ending to their festive day.
Storybook Cover (Window Vinyl)
This displays features a vinyl window. It resembles a whimsical holiday storybook cover, setting the stage for the magical holiday tale within windows one to five, and allowing the displays to read like a book for patrons who walk down Yonge St., south from Queen Street West.
Storybook Page (Window Vinyl)
This vinyl window resembles the first page in a traditional storybook, explaining the tale of the Mars Elves.
To keep the giving spirit of the holidays going, QR codes have been incorporated to invite visitors to submit their holiday wish list, with Mars donating $1 to Food Banks Canada for every one submitted. Up to $15,000 will be donated to help provide meals for families in need this season.
You have now, until Jan. 2, 2026, to experience all the magic of the holiday displays at 176 Yonge St.
Snap some pictures and keep making those memories.
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Karen Doradea
Senior Staff Writer, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.
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