Feast your eyes on shop windows decked out with festive lights, glam displays, augmented reality and more.

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Displays at Hudson's Bay's flagship location on Queen Street are among the most popular in the city

Checking out holiday window displays has been a family tradition for years. There’s something awe-inspiring about the whimsey exuded by the creative displays around the city. 

So, if you’re like me, my family and my loved ones and want to see all the best holiday windows for yourself, here’s how you should get started.
 

Hudson’s Bay

One of my favourite winter holiday activities after skating at Nathan Phillips Square is crossing the street to see what Hudson’s Bay has in store for its holiday window displays. 

They always find a way to capture the spirit of the season wonderfully—from adorable snowmen making snow angels to robotic arms making and moving candy canes and presents off conveyor belts. 

Fairmont Royal York

The windows at Fairmont Royal York are by far my favourite displays in the city. The attention to detail in each window is hard to beat.

Gold typically dominates as the primary colour of the displays, and each Front Street window is slightly different from the next but still plays well together. If you’re into dazzling twinkling displays like I am, you will love what they have in store. 
 

Holt Renfrew

Head to the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood for all the glitz and glamour of the season.

Holt Renfrew really knows how to create displays that dazzle with elegance but still pay homage to the holiday season. A coffee and a stroll down Bloor Street, with all the twinkling lights, is the perfect recipe for a romantic date. 

Junction Window Wonderland

A new type of holiday display that uses technology to enhance the traditional holiday window displays, Window Wonderland exhibition transforms the Junction neighbourhood into a magical and interactive outdoor gallery.

It showcases local artists and animators who have painted storefront windows that have been brought to life by Augmented Reality (AR). It is one of the more unique interpretations of holiday window displays, but it is so worth checking out.