5 interesting places to visit in Toronto for free

DISTILLERY DISTRICT

Formerly The Gooderham and Worts Distillery, the quaint East End area now known as the Distillery District has been turned into an enclave of art galleries, restaurants and boutiques offering one-of-a-kind fare such as hand-crafted jewelry housed in restored heritage Victorian buildings. Drop in at a gallery, stroll along the cobblestone streets in the warmer months to catch a free concert or check out the Christmas market when the frost sets in. The distillery may no longer be churning out spirits, but the charm of the neighborhood lifts the spirit of this otherwise industrial stretch of the city.

KENSINGTON MARKET

If your tastes are a little more eclectic and organic, make your way through bustling Chinatown to Kensington, where hippies, homegrown fare and hipsters happily coexist for the ultimate in people-watching. The original immigrant inhabitants have left their mark with a bevy of ethnically diverse fare from empanada stands to European cheese shops to Asian fusion restaurants, intermixed with vintage clothing stores, retro furniture shops and just the right amount of fair-trade coffee spots and brooding bars to draw a diverse range of patrons. Pedestrian Sundays are always fun when the streets are filled with bands, buskers, Brazilian drummers, and more, all for free.

HARBOURFRONT

Beautiful views and fun freebies abound on Toronto's waterfront. The Harbourfront Centre's 10-acre lakeside site hosts over 4,000 events, many of which are gratis. The arts and culture hub's York Quay Center and The Power Plant have changing arts and photo exhibits year-round for no entry fee. From May to October, take in a different free festival every week ranging from Expressions of Brazil to the Vietnamese Lantern Festival featuring concerts, performances and films. Come November, strap on your skates and glide around the center's rink. On Saturdays, put a little groove in your skate with music from the resident DJ, and all it may cost you is a little embarrassment if you're ability to boogie and balance on blades is off kilter.