Cabbagetown in Winter: Tobogganing, the Flower Show and the Holidays

Cabbagetown in winter is quieter than at any other time of year. The festival crowds of September are long gone, the side streets empty out after dark, and the snow picks out every line of the carved trim along the gables. For anyone who wants to see the Victorian streets at their most photogenic, a clear morning after a snowfall is the time.

Most of what there is to do sits at the two ends of the neighbourhood. To the east, the slopes of Riverdale Park become sledding hills. To the west, the glasshouses of Allan Gardens stay warm whatever the weather. In between, Parliament Street keeps its shops and cafés open, and in early December the neighbourhood holds its own holiday afternoon. The seasonal guide covers the rest of the year.

Tobogganing in Riverdale Park

Riverdale Park has two toboggan hills, one on each side of the Don Valley, and both are on the City of Toronto’s list of designated hills.

• Riverdale Park West, at 375 Sumach Street, is on the Cabbagetown side of the valley, at the end of the neighbourhood’s own streets and a short walk from Riverdale Farm.
• Riverdale Park East, at 550 Broadview Avenue, is on the far side of the river, reached by the footbridge across the valley. The ground on that side rises steeply towards Broadview.

The City inspects its designated hills regularly through the winter and closes them when conditions are unsafe. It warns that other hills in the city may hide trees, rocks and stumps or run out towards rivers and roads, which is a good reason to stay on the listed slopes. Unsafe conditions can be reported to 311. The Riverdale Park guide explains how the two halves of the park fit together.

The flower show at Allan Gardens

The Allan Gardens Conservatory is the obvious answer to a cold afternoon. It is free, open every day of the year, and the glasshouses are kept warm for the plants inside them. Each winter the City fills the show house with a holiday flower show; in 2025 the Friends of Allan Gardens described it as the Poinsettia Flower Show and held a holiday market alongside it on 7 December. The dates change each year, so the City’s conservatory page is the place to check from late November.

The Friends of Allan Gardens also run events of their own through the season. In December 2025 their program included a winter solstice afternoon with a fire, storytelling and wreath making. Their calendar is the place to look for the coming winter’s events.

Holiday in the Patch

The neighbourhood’s own holiday event is run by the Cabbagetown BIA and centres on the corner of Carlton and Parliament. For 2026 the BIA lists it for Saturday 5 December, from noon to 4 p.m.

The BIA’s program for the day includes a text-based treasure hunt that sends families into local shops for clues, with cash prizes, as well as photos with Santa and a family area at the corner with hot apple cider, lawn games and a table for making ornaments. When this page was checked in September, registration for the hunt and the full list of activities had not yet been published, so read the BIA’s page closer to the day. The shops guide covers the stores along the route.

Riverdale Farm in the cold

Riverdale Farm does not close for winter. The City runs it from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, and entry is free, so a visit can be as short as the weather allows. The public washrooms are in the Simpson House, the reproduction Victorian farmhouse to the left of the main entrance. Everything else about the farm is on the Riverdale Farm page.

Skating

The City of Toronto runs outdoor artificial ice rinks across the city, which typically open in late November and close in March. Rinks close after heavy snow while the ice is cleared, and the City publishes a map showing which ones are open on a given day. That map is the most reliable way to find the nearest rink to Cabbagetown on the day you want to skate.

Practical notes for a winter visit

Sidewalks. The City’s rules split the work by snowfall. When 2 cm or more falls, City crews clear the public sidewalks. When less falls, residents and businesses clear the sidewalk beside their property within 12 hours. On the morning after a light snowfall, expect a patchwork from house to house.

The valley paths. The paths down into Riverdale Park and the Don Valley are steeper than the streets above them and can be slippery in freezing weather. The City has also been carrying out works on the Lower Don Trail, with temporary closures near the Riverdale Park footbridge, so check its project page before planning a route along the river.

Getting there. The 506 Carlton streetcar passes Allan Gardens on its way along Carlton Street, so the warm end of a winter afternoon is always a short ride away. Check the TTC’s service advisories before setting out, as winter weather and track work can divert it.

The walk in winter. The heritage walk works in any season, and with the leaves off the trees many of the house fronts are easier to see than in summer. Start at Allan Gardens to warm up first, and plan to finish before the early winter dusk.