The Toronto Light Festival has set the Distillery District aglow. Which means anyone suffering from the winter blues can now walk through an immersive sea of lights, swing from the clouds, or enjoy the blossoming flowers (okay, they’re fake, but still).
More than 20 light art installations from local and international artists are on display around the cobblestone walkways of the Distillery District. The best part? It’s all free.
Instagram bait awaits around every corner, with an added incentive; the Toronto Light Fest is offering a $1,000 shopping spree in the Distillery District for the best Instagram image — so get posting.
It’s the festival’s fourth annual event in Toronto, and they’ve added both daytime and nighttime programming. Several nearby restaurants will also be adding special brunch offerings for daytime goers to enjoy, including at El Catrin, Cluny and Pure Spirits.
The Submergence installation by the U.K.’s Squidsoup is sure to draw the most crowds. It is an immersive, responsive, walk-through experience with over 5,000 individually controlled lights and sounds.
The brightly coloured Shrooms piece by Amigo Amigo is an Alice in Wonderland-esque installation, where visitors are dwarfed by giant mushrooms as they walk through the immersive artwork.
A tribute to the underappreciated heroes of the space age can be found throughout the Distillery, with Sydmonauts by Amigo Amigo on every corner.
Plus, Toronto Light Fest visitors can swing from the clouds on Lindsay Glatz’s whimsical installation.
The Toronto Light Fest runs Jan. 17 to March 1. Lights come on from Sunday to Wednesday from sundown to 9 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday from sundown to 10 p.m.