Best Holiday Ice Skating Rinks in Toronto (2026)
17 rinks and trails for a holiday skate, from City Hall and the waterfront to neighbourhood favourites and five GTA outings.
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Toronto does holiday skating particularly well. You can circle the ice beneath the lights at City Hall, turn a waterfront skate into a whole evening at Harbourfront, or follow a trail through a park when you want a little more room. The right rink depends on whether you're after a Christmas backdrop, a good stretch of skating, or somewhere the whole family can get outfitted without much fuss.
For a first visit, start at Nathan Phillips Square. Harbourfront is our pick for a festive outing with rentals, The Bentway makes a memorable date, and Colonel Samuel Smith is the scenic trail. On December 20, Evergreen Brick Works pairs skating with a proper holiday market.
This guide covers 12 rinks in Toronto and five in the surrounding GTA. Where this winter's opening date hasn't been announced yet, we've said so and will continue to update this guide as more information becomes available. After the skate, warm up at one of our Toronto Christmas bars and holiday pop-ups or a table from the most festive Christmas restaurants in Toronto.
Toronto Ice Skating at a Glance
| Rink (area) | 2026–27 dates | Skates |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Phillips Square (Downtown) | Lights Nov 28–Jan 7; rink dates to come | Rentals (photo ID) |
| Harbourfront Centre (Waterfront) | Nov 20–Feb 28 | Rentals $15 adult, $10 child; free Saturdays |
| The Bentway (Fort York) | Dec 12–Feb 28 | Rentals $15 adult |
| Evergreen Brick Works (Don Valley) | Dec 20, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Rentals available |
| College Park (Yonge and College) | Opening party Dec 5; dates to come | Free lending Dec 5; otherwise bring your own |
| Colonel Samuel Smith Park (Etobicoke) | Dates to come | Bring your own |
| Greenwood Park (Leslieville) | Dates to come | Bring your own |
| Dufferin Grove Park (West end) | Dates to come | Bring your own |
| Mel Lastman Square (North York) | Dates to come | Rentals to be confirmed |
| Kew Gardens (The Beaches) | Dates to come | Bring your own |
| McCowan District Park (Scarborough) | Dates to come | Bring your own |
| Albert Campbell Square (Scarborough Centre) | Dates to come | Bring your own |
| Canada's Wonderland (Vaughan) | Selected dates Nov 21–Jan 3 | Paid session, $15 with rentals |
| Gage Park (Brampton) | Nov 28 celebration; dates to come | Rentals on selected days |
| Celebration Square (Mississauga) | Reopening date to come | Paid rentals |
| Markham Civic Centre (Markham) | Nov 30–Mar 14 | Rentals from Dec 4 |
| Richmond Green (Richmond Hill) | Dates to come | Bring your own; no rentals |
Signature Holiday Skates in Toronto
These five are the rinks with the most going on around the ice: lights, markets, music, or a setting you won't find anywhere else. Pair Nathan Phillips Square with a few stops from our Toronto Christmas lights guide, and Harbourfront or Evergreen with our Toronto Christmas markets guide.
Nathan Phillips Square
100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N1, Canada
If you're only going to skate once over the holidays, make it here. The TORONTO sign, City Hall and the illuminated arches give the rink a sense of occasion before you step onto the ice, and the Christmas tree completes the postcard most visitors have in mind. It's the pick for atmosphere and a central location, less so for a first lesson. Cavalcade of Lights runs November 28 to January 7; those are the lighting dates, not the end of the skating season. Rentals come from the rinkside shop, which takes walk-ins and needs government-issued photo ID. Our move: Go after dark for the lights and leave time for a stroll toward the Eaton Centre. A weekday outside the main holiday events means more skating and less crowd.
Harbourfront Centre: Jumpstart Community Rink
239 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2G8, Canada
Harbourfront is the easiest place to turn a skate into a full holiday outing. The rink sits by the water, and from November 20 to December 20 HarbourFrost fills the surrounding campus with a tree, market stalls and performances. Pick something on the program, add a skate, then linger over something warm. It's a strong choice if you don't own skates, with one catch: the ice opens at 10 a.m. daily, but the rental shop doesn't open until 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday (10 a.m. Friday to Sunday). Weekday daytime visitors need their own skates. The rink stays open until 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; rentals close at 10 p.m. Our move: Come on a Saturday, when skate rentals are free while supplies last (helmets aren't included), or book around DJ Skate Nights, 8–10 p.m. Saturdays from December 19 to February 13 plus December 31.
The Bentway Skate Trail
250 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3K9, Canada
The Bentway turns the space beneath the Gardiner into one of the city's most memorable winter outings. Its figure-eight trail gives you something more interesting to follow than the edge of a rectangle, with public art and the expressway overhead. Book it for a date or a small group that wants the skate itself to be the experience, and dress for the outdoors: the road above doesn't make this an indoor rink. Holiday skating runs noon to 9 p.m. daily through January 3, and no reservation is needed. Rentals are cashless and need government-issued photo ID; allow time for the waiver. Holiday rentals stop at 8 p.m., with skates due back by 8:45 p.m. Our move: Pack light, because there are no lockers. If you come back in the new year, rentals aren't offered Monday to Wednesday from January 4 (apart from listed special dates), and Free Rental Thursdays start January 7.
Evergreen Brick Works
550 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4W 3X8, Canada
Evergreen is the call when the setting matters as much as the skating. The ice winds through Koerner Gardens beneath the exposed structure of the old brick factory, which feels nothing like a civic square. Browse the market, eat something good and make the skate one part of an unhurried afternoon. The building is open to the air, so wear proper winter layers. Skating is included with Winter Market entry, which is pay what you can (suggested $5 per person or $20 per family). Rentals will be available; this year's rate hasn't been posted. The wider public-skating calendar for this winter hasn't been announced. Our move: Make December 20 your Evergreen day. The market also runs November 29 and December 6 and 13, but skating has only been announced for the 20th.
Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail at College Park
33 College St, Toronto, ON M5G 2B3, Canada
Slip into College Park and the pace of downtown changes. The oval trail sits inside a block of tall buildings, which makes it an easy stop between shopping, coffee and dinner. It's the better downtown pick when City Hall feels like more of an event than you need, and a weekday session is gentler still. The opening celebration is December 5, 2–6 p.m., with music, festive photo spots, s'mores and free skate lending while supplies last. That's a one-day event; the full skating calendar hasn't been posted yet. Our move: On ordinary days, bring your own skates. The free lending is for the December 5 party, not a daily rental service.
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Neighbourhood Ice Rinks and Skating Trails in Toronto
These are the rinks to choose when a good skate matters more than a Christmas production. All seven are free City of Toronto rinks. This winter's opening dates haven't been posted yet; outdoor City ice usually runs from late November into March. Check the leisure-skate schedule and the day's rink status, and bring skates unless a lending visit is listed.
Colonel Samuel Smith Park Skating Trail
65 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr, Etobicoke, ON M8V 4B6, Canada
This is the one for a good afternoon outside. The figure-eight trail swaps repetitive rink laps for gentle changes of direction, and the lakeside park gives you a reason to arrive early or stay after. It feels like a winter excursion without leaving the city. The trail sits beside the Power House Recreation Centre; use the Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive address rather than the park's Lake Shore Boulevard entrance. Our move: Go in daylight so you can add a walk through the park. Come for the landscape and the trail, not a market or a light show.
Greenwood Park
150 Greenwood Ave, Toronto, ON M4L 1Y5, Canada
Greenwood gives you two ways to skate: a covered outdoor rink and a separate trail beside it. That makes it the east end's most useful skating stop, with plenty of places to eat nearby afterward. The draw is the setup itself, not the decorations. The roof covers the rink, not the trail. Shinny and other activities have their own sessions, so check which surface is running leisure skating when you plan to go. Our move: Use the trail for a change of scenery and the rink for a more familiar loop. Both are still outdoors, so dress for it.
Dufferin Grove Park
875 Dufferin St, Toronto, ON M6H 3K8, Canada
Dufferin Grove suits a day built around skating rather than tickets and timed entry. The rebuilt double-pad rink and clubhouse give the park a fresh setup while keeping the outing firmly local. Keep it short and leave room for a meal afterward. The rinks are in the park's northwest corner. Don't assume both pads are open for casual skating all day; the leisure-skate timetable tells you which is. Our move: Bring your own skates, make it a relaxed hour on the ice, then go somewhere warm nearby.
Mel Lastman Square
5100 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5V7, Canada
Mel Lastman Square is North York's answer to City Hall. The reflecting pool becomes a rink in the middle of the civic square, and Yonge Street has plenty to extend the evening. It's an easy call if you're staying or spending the day in Willowdale. The We Love Willowdale Christmas Market and tree lighting run November 28, 2–8 p.m. The rink's opening date hasn't been announced, so check before planning to skate that day. If you need rentals, confirm this winter's service before arriving without skates. Our move: Start from North York Centre station and make dinner part of the plan.
Kew Gardens
2075 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4E 2N8, Canada
A skate at Kew Gardens fits neatly into a Beaches afternoon: a few laps, a walk by the water if the weather cooperates, then something warm on Queen Street East. Families who would rather stay in one neighbourhood than cross the city will like it. The rink is in the southern part of the park near the boardwalk, not by the Queen Street gate. Our move: Save the shoreline walk for daylight, and skip it on a windy day. The rink is the destination; the rest is optional.
McCowan District Park
150 McCowan Rd, Scarborough, ON M1M 2A4, Canada
McCowan has a skating trail alongside its rink, which is rarer than it should be. The park setting feels different from a skate between downtown towers, and it gives Scarborough families more than a quick turn around a small square. There's a fieldhouse, washrooms and parking on site. Our move: Come here for the park and the trail. If the skate needs to fit around errands, Albert Campbell Square is the better Scarborough fit.
Albert Campbell Square
150 Borough Dr, Scarborough, ON M1P 0B1, Canada
Albert Campbell Square is the practical Scarborough choice when skating is one part of the day. The outdoor rink sits in the courtyard between the Civic Centre and Scarborough Town Centre, so it slots easily between shopping and a meal. Our move: Get the shopping done first, then make the skate your break before dinner.
Ice Skating Worth the Trip Beyond Toronto
These five are outside the City of Toronto. Wonderland and Gage Park have the strongest holiday atmosphere and are worth an evening; Celebration Square, Markham and Richmond Green make the most sense if you're already staying nearby.
Snow Flake Lake at Canada's Wonderland
Vaughan, ON L6A 1S6, Canada
Wonderland is the pick when skating is one chapter in a much bigger Christmas night. Snow Flake Lake takes over the fountain in front of Wonder Mountain, with illuminated trees and holiday projections around the ice. Add WinterFest's shows and seasonal food, and it works for skaters and non-skaters alike. Skating is a 30-minute session booked online in advance, on top of park admission (currently from $45, before taxes, fees and parking). Every skater needs a waiver; a parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18. Our move: Budget for the whole night before comparing it with a free city rink, and book your park date and skate session together. Skaters under 48 inches tall (without skates) need a supervising companion and a CSA-approved helmet.
Gage Park
45 Main St S, Brampton, ON L6Y 1M9, Canada
Gage Park is our first choice outside Toronto for a traditional, small-city holiday outing. The skating trail loops through the downtown park, and the lights give you a reason to stay after dark. Treat it as an evening in Brampton, not a quick detour. The November 28 Christmas Tree Lighting and Miracle on Main Street celebration runs 4–8 p.m. and includes skating on the Winter Lights Skating Trail. The full winter schedule hasn't been posted yet. Rentals run on selected days only. Our move: On November 28, allow extra time for downtown road closures. For a later visit, check hours and ice conditions before setting out.
Celebration Square
300 City Centre Dr, Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1, Canada
Celebration Square makes sense if you're already spending a day in Mississauga or want a big civic-square skate outside the city. There are places to sit and warm up beside the ice, and Square One is close enough to fold shopping into the plan, which suits a mixed group. The rink is expected to reopen this winter, but the exact date hasn't been announced. The square's general hours aren't the rink's hours, so check rental counter times and prices before arriving without skates. Our move: Wait for the opening announcement before making a special trip. Once it's open, check the live webcam before you leave, or call 905-615-3200, ext. 7465, for ice conditions.
Markham Civic Centre Outdoor Ice Rink
171 Town Centre Blvd, Markham, ON L3P 7V1, Canada
Markham Civic Centre is an easy recommendation if you're spending the holidays north of the city. It's a straightforward outdoor skate that fits neatly around family visits. Come for convenience and time on the ice; Wonderland and Gage Park are the better bets when the spectacle is the point. Hours are 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, except Wednesdays, when it opens at noon. Rentals run Thursday and Friday 5–10 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Our move: Walk around the northeast side of the Civic Centre and take the outdoor stairs or path; there's no rink access through the building.
Richmond Green Skate Trail
1300 Elgin Mills Rd E, Richmond Hill, ON L4S 1M5, Canada
Richmond Green is for people who would rather follow a trail through trees than skate in front of a skyline. The lighting makes evening laps part of the appeal, and the loop gives the outing an easy rhythm. It's worth the drive if you're staying in the northern GTA or want a trail skate to be the whole plan. The trail is beside Tom Graham Arena. There's no registration, but this winter's opening date hasn't been posted. There are no rentals or sharpening, and the trail is unsupervised. Our move: Bring a group that already owns skates, and call 905-771-5490 for conditions before you drive.
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