Toronto 
Red Pepper Arts Spectacle’s Winter Solstice Festival returns to Kensington Market to celebrate the year’s longest night.
Red Pepper Arts Spectacle
Now in its 36th year, the Kensington Market Winter Solstice Parade invites the public to walk together into the longest night of the year.
During the event, revellers move through the streets carrying handmade emblematic lanterns, roving giant puppets, and stilt dancers set to an eclectic mix of live music. Fire breathers and spinners light the route, building toward a Fire Finale that signals the shift from darkness to light.
You can participate in the parade along Augusta Ave and Oxford St.
Handmade solstice lanterns are available for $30 at the outdoor Lantern Booth on Augusta Avenue, north of Oxford Street, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Participants are also encouraged to bring noisemakers, costumes, and their own lanterns to take part in the procession.
The parade assembles at the intersection of Augusta Avenue and Oxford Street at 6 p.m., and the procession begins at 7 p.m. The route leads to Alexandra Park, where the Fire Finale concludes the evening.
Remember to bring donations; the event is a major fundraiser for Red Pepper Arts Spectacle.
Originally called the Kensington Market Festival of Lights, the Winter Solstice Festival was started in 1988 by Ida Carnivali, the artistic director of the Kensington Carnival Arts Society.
Red Pepper Spectacle Arts is a nonprofit community arts organization that co-creates and facilitates cross-cultural, multidisciplinary, collaborative arts engagement and primarily serves First Nations/Metis/ Inuit Communities.
Trip Planning – Winter Solstice Festival
What: Come celebrate the return to warmth and light in the heart of Kensington Market over the Winter Solstice. 36h Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice celebration!
When:
Sunday, December 21, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. ~ 9:00 p.m.
3:30–6:30: Solstice Lanterns for Sale. Oxford St. & Augusta Ave
6:00 p.m.: Parade Assembly. Oxford St. & Augusta Ave
6:30 PM: First Light
7:00 PM: Parade Kickoff at Augusta Ave & Oxford St to the Fire Finale in Alexandra Park
Where: Augusta Ave and Oxford St. to Alexandra Park at 275 Bathurst St., Toronto
Route: travels via Augusta Ave, turns right on Baldwin St, south on Kensington Ave, turns left on Dundas St and ends at Alexandra Park
How Much: Free; donations to Red Pepper Spectacle Arts are appreciated
