Map of Downtown Queen.

DOWNTOWN QUEEN

The city’s cultural hub boasts top theatres, restaurants and shopping—plus the fun, fast-paced feeling of being at the centre of it all.

HOLIDAY BALLET The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts takes up a full city block, features superior acoustic clarity and boasts the world’s largest freespan glass staircase. This two-year-old opera house is also home to the National Ballet of Canada, whose celebrated annual performance of The Nutcracker—set in a magical dreamscape of 19th-century Russia—runs from December 6 to 28. 145 Queen St. W., 416-345-9595.

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED The 40-year-old Cavalcade of Lights tradition at Nathan Phillips Square casts beams of colour from thousands of bulbs to light up the night. See a designer-decorated Christmas tree and, on Saturday nights, concerts by performers like Suzie McNeil, Tomi Swick and Jully Black. Friday and Saturday nights, discover the city’s beauty and history with guided bus tours of six neighbourhoods, while fireworks and a rinkside DJ dance party cap the festivities. 100 Queen St. W., 416-338-0338.

PRE-THEATRE DINING Popular before-the-show spot Toronto Eaton Centre has more than 230 fashionable shops, restos and services under one gorgeous glass roof. Cross a walkway to reach department store The Bay (page 64), which carries—among many other things—holiday decorations and ornaments. 220 Yonge St., 416-598-8560.

VAUDEVILLIAN VENUE Tour the majestic Elgin Theatre, a National Historic Site and the last operating “double-decker” theatre in the world—the lofty Winter Garden Theatre sits above it. From November 8 to 15, Opera Atelier presents Mozart’s burlesque 18th-century Viennese comedy The Abduction from the Seraglio. From November 28 onward, enjoy a twist on a classic with Cinderella: The Sillylicious Family Musical! 189 Yonge St., 416-314-2901.

FRESH AND FABULOUS At Superior Restaurant, chef Dan Tharmaratnam proudly serves locally sourced food, like responsibly farmed heritage pork loin and Georgian Bay whitefish caught fresh daily. Everything else—think cranberry bread and pumpkin ice cream—is house-made. Sommelier Tom Lexovsky offers several interesting wine pours by the glass at this family-owned (since 1943!) staple. 253 Yonge St., 416-214-0416.

ROCKIN’ GOOD FOOD Music memorabilia—like an autographed Bob Dylan guitar—is the draw at Hard Rock Café, a casual establishment with traditional eats like hickory-smoked barbeque beef brisket. Don’t miss the gift shop, where souvenirs such as seasonal compilation-CDs with tracks like John Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance” raise money for charities to end world hunger. 279 Yonge St., 416-362-3636.

CATCH A SHOW At the elegant Canon Theatre, Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—the tale of a magical car that sails the seas and flies the skies—zooms into town on December 24 to enchant the young and the young-at-heart with its eccentric cast of characters, stunning special effects and catchy Broadway-blockbuster score. 244 Victoria St., 416-872-1212.

TIP! To get to Downtown Queen, take the Yonge-University subway line and exit at Dundas station, then walk south on Yonge Street, or exit at Queen station and walk north on Yonge Street or west on Queen Street. Or, go to Osgoode station and head east along Queen Street.