The holiday break is coming up. For some of us, it’s a few days or weeks off from school or work — score! If you have some time on your hands this season, you may be itching to get out of the house, which can get expensive. I recommend saving your cash and checking out one of the free skating rinks around the city. It’s festive, fun, and good exercise. A triple threat.

Here are the free skating rinks in Toronto you have to visit during the holidays.

Nathan Phillips Square

A classic.

This downtown skating rink is easy to get to on transit, is beautifully lit up in the evening, and has a concession stand so you can warm up with a cup of hot chocolate.

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., any time is a good time to swing over.

When: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: 100 Queen St. W.
Cost: Free admission

Harbourfront Centre

Skate around with the city as your backdrop.

Harbourfront Centre not only has holiday vendors you can shop, but also a rink you can enjoy free of cost.

When: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m.
Where: 235 Queens Quay W.
Cost: Free admission

The Bentway

This skating loop under the Gardiner is also a favourite of mine.

Open daily, this rink also has a concession stand where you can grab a snack or hot drink.

When: Open daily from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: 250 Fort York Blvd.
Cost: Free admission

Hangar Skate YZD Plaza

This 6,000 sq. ft. refrigerated rink is one of the newer ones in Toronto, and admission is free.

Enjoy local bites, and on select dates, a DJ to keep the vibes high.

When: Open daily from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 250 Fort York Blvd.
Cost: Free admission

Evergreen Brick Works

Evergreen Brick Works skating trail is an underrated one, in my opinion.

When: Select dates between Dec. 15 and Jan. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 550 Bayview Ave.
Cost: Free admission

Happy (free) skating, Toronto.

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Taylor Lucas

Associate Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for storytelling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing, she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

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