A fraudulent website masquerading as the Toronto Christmas Market has surfaced as the top search result on Google, raising alarm among residents ahead of the holiday season.
The website initially appears to promote Toronto’s popular holiday festivities, featuring a map of the Distillery District, a stage schedule, and even a list of sponsors. But closer inspection reveals gambling advertisements and a ticket-purchasing option that has no connection to the legitimate event.
The real festival, known as the Distillery Winter Village, is held annually in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Its official website is thedistillerywintervillage.com. It was renamed Distillery Winter Village in November 2021.
CityNews has reached out to organizers for comment.
The issue has sparked debate on Reddit, where some Toronto users expressed frustration that the fraudulent site outranks the legitimate one.
“Eeeeek. Seems this was the legit site back in the day. Solid backlinks from many Toronto sites (hotels, etc.). These guys likely jumped on the domain when it expired and rebuilt the site based on the archive — and added their gambling banner,” wrote one Redditor.
Organizers have previously emphasized that the event’s official branding is “Winter Village,” not “Toronto Christmas Market,” due to trademark restrictions.
“The Distillery Winter Village is Toronto’s original and world-famous Christmas market, still often called the Toronto Christmas Market,” the Winter Village’s website reads in its FAQ section.
The Distillery Market’s winter village tree lighting event is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m., with the village open through Jan. 4, 2026. It is closed on Christmas.