Santa will be making two stops at The Waterfront BIA's annual Winterfest on Toronto’s Waterfront, presented by PortsToronto this holiday season on Friday December 18, Saturday December 19 and Sunday December 20! NEW this year, adults can get in the holiday spirit aboard the Friday night Ugly Christmas Sweater Cocktail Cruise! Families can also join Santa and his elves for the 10th Annual Santa Cruise aboard Mariposa Cruises’ Northern Spirit. Pets can get in on the action with Pet Photos with Santa at Purina PawsWay, while families can learn more about the Arctic and create their own piece of art at the Museum of Inuit Art. People of all ages can also take part in a FREE pastry-eating contest, hosted by the BeaverTails mascot Beav. Hop aboard the 509 and the 510 streetcars for direct access to Toronto’s Waterfront via TTC. For additional information, please visit www.waterfrontbia.com.

“Celebrate the magic of the holiday at Winterfest on Toronto’s Waterfront including photos with Santa, crafts, caroling, face painting and dog shows,” states Carol Jolly, Executive Director, The Waterfront BIA. “In addition, this year’s Santa Cruise features programming for both children and adults alike, with the return of Mariposa Cruises' Santa Brunch Cruises for families and the debut of their Ugly Christmas Sweater Cocktail Cruise for adults only.”

First Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Cocktail Cruise

Get decked out in your ugliest Christmas sweater and celebrate National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, for a festive evening on the Northern Spirit, where you can enjoy an adult only Ugly Christmas Sweater Cocktail Cruise on Friday December 18. Choose between Mariposa Cruises’ early evening cruise, boarding at 6:00pm and cruising from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, or their late evening cruise, boarding at 9:00pm and cruising from 9:30pm to 11:30pm.

“Everyone has at least one Christmas sweater that is truly hideous,” adds Jolly. “This is your chance to take it out of the closet and show it off.”

Pop into the bad Santa photo booth and dress up your ugly sweater with some festive holiday props for your complimentary souvenir picture.

The Ugly Christmas Sweater Cocktail Cruise includes fun food stations, hors d’oeuvres, an Ugly Christmas Sweater and Santa Costume Contest, a Bad Santa photo booth, along with their DJ playing Top 40 tunes and horrendous holiday classics to set the mood. Must be 19 years +. Advance tickets only, sold for $39.95 + HST & HSC. Purchase at mariposacruises.com or call 416-203-0178.

FIRST ANNUAL UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER COCKTAIL CRUISE

DATE: Friday December 18

TIME: Early evening: Boarding 6:00pm | Cruise 6:30pm-8:30pm

Late evening: Boarding 9:00pm | Cruise 9:30-11:30pm

LOCATION: Northern Spirit - foot of York Street (by Queen’s Quay Terminal – 207 Queens Quay West)

COST: Advance tickets only $39.95 + HST & HSC per person. Adults-only event – must be 19+. Includes food stations & hors d’oeuvres, Bad Santa photo booth, costume contest and DJ.

Tickets are available online at www.mariposacruises.com or by calling 416-203-0178.

10th Annual Santa Cruise

Join Santa aboard the Northern Spirit for the 10th Annual Santa Cruise presented by Mariposa Cruises (docked at the foot of York Street). Families are invited to join Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves for this magical two-hour Santa Cruise which includes brunch aboard the Northern Spirit on Saturday December 19 or Sunday December 20, boarding at 11:30am and cruising from 12pm to 2pm. The brunch menu includes a continental bakery basket, seasonal fresh fruit, mixed garden greens, wild rice salad with cranberry and butternut squash, olive Greek pasta salad, chef’s famous cinnamon French toast, scrambled eggs, hickory smoked bacon and organic pork breakfast sausage, carving of roast turkey, Yukon gold home fries and freshly brewed regular and decaffeinated coffee, orange pekoe and assorted herbal teas, fountain soft drinks and juices. Advance tickets only - adults are $48.95 + HST & HSC and children (ages 4-12) are $24.95 + HST & HSC (children under 4 are admitted FREE). Purchase at mariposacruises.com or call 416-203-0178.

Santa’s merry elves will entertain families on the Santa Brunch Cruise, hand out holiday treats and help make sure each family has their photo taken with Santa. There will be fun kid-friendly activities including crafts, caroling, face painting and plenty of reindeer games with Santa’s elves.

Mariposa Cruises, in partnership with The Waterfront BIA, are excited to launch the Santa Brunch Cruise Contest where one lucky winner will receive a complimentary Santa Brunch Cruise for a family of four, two adults and two children (4-12 years old) valued at $150. Enter to WIN by sharing Santa Brunch Cruise Facebook posts or re-tweeting Santa Brunch Cruise tweets.

10th ANNUAL SANTA CRUISE

DATE: Saturday December 19 | Sunday December 20

TIME: Morning: Boarding 11:30am | 12pm-2pm

LOCATION: Northern Spirit - foot of York Street (by Queen’s Quay Terminal – 207 Queens Quay West)

COST: Advance tickets only - adults are $48.95 + HST & HSC per person and children age 4-12 are $24.95 + HST & HSC per child. Children under 4 are admitted FREE! Complimentary professional photo with Santa and crafts on board. Tickets are available online at www.mariposacruises.com or by calling 416-203-0178

Have Your Pet’s Photo Taken with Santa

Find out if your cat or dog has been naughty or nice as Santa pays a memorable visit to Purina PawsWay (245 Queens Quay West). Capture that special moment between Santa and your pet and help support a guide dog. Photos cost $12 + HST ($2 from each photo is donated to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides).

Purina PawsWay is open daily from 11am-6pm, general admission is FREE. Visit www.pawsway.ca for more details.

HAVE YOUR PET’S PHOTO TAKEN WITH SANTA

DATE: Saturday December 19 | Sunday December 20

TIME: 11am-2pm | 3pm-5pm

LOCATION: Purina PawsWay (245 Queens Quay West)

COST: $12 + HST ($2 from each photo is donated to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides).

Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show

The Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show is coming to Purina PawsWay (245 Queens Quay West) during Winterfest on Toronto’s Waterfront! Featured on Family Channel, Animal Planet and The Pet Network, the Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show is a one-of-a-kind comedy stunt dog show showcasing more than 50 incredible and hilarious stunts and tricks. The highly trained dogs demonstrate some amazing circus style tricks including: tightrope walking, bike riding, piano playing, skipping and more! Visit www.pawsway.ca for more details.

Ultimutts Stunt Dog Sophia was found as a stray in Ohio and taken to a shelter, where she was saved by an animal rescue before her 'time was up’. She was taken to a special farm for animals where she waited for a forever home for a year. In that time she was completely overlooked as no one wanted her. Sophia was then sent on the rescue relay for animals to the London Humane Society to try her luck in a different area. In London, she was adopted by Melissa Millett, founder of the Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show. She was given lots of love and with training, has become an integral member of the Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show.

From Underdog to Wonderdog, Sophia will be making the rounds after each show accepting donations to help other dogs in need for the Ultimutts Retrieve for Rescue.

ULTIMUTTS STUNT DOG SHOW

DATE: Saturday December 19 | Sunday December 20

TIME: 1pm | 2:30pm | 4pm

LOCATION: Purina PawsWay, Inside Purina PawsWay Pet Centre (245 Queens Quay West)

COST: FREE

Meet a Real Dog Sledding Team

This is your chance to meet and have your picture taken with a real dog sledding team during Winterfest on Toronto’s Waterfront! Visitors will be able to have a quick ‘pat and chat’ with Tanya Hawley and her authentic sled dogs and see various equipment used in dog sledding! Visit www.pawsway.ca for more details.

MEET A REAL DOG SLEDDING TEAM

DATE: Saturday December 19 | Sunday December 20

TIME: 11am-5pm

LOCATION: Purina PawsWay, Outdoor Front Patio (245 Queens Quay West)

COST: FREE

Discover the Arctic at the Museum of Inuit Art

Bundle up and prepare for winter at the Museum of Inuit Art (MIA) with some Arctic inspired activities! Play a true/false game to learn some fun facts about one of the Arctic's largest land mammals, the polar bear, and how they handle their Northern climate. Take a self-guided tour of the museum's art collection, and learn how other animals in the North get ready for the changing seasons and how artists depict these animals. Take inspiration from the museum's art collection and unleash your own creativity by constructing a piece of art with their Art Assistants. Take your new masterpiece home or have it placed on display inside the museum on their MIA Community Art Board.

DISCOVER THE ARCTIC AT THE MUSEUM OF INUIT ART

DATE: Saturday December 19 | Sunday December 20

TIME: 12noon-4pm

LOCATION: Museum of Inuit Art, 207 Queens Quay West, 1st Floor at the South-West corner facing Lake Ontario

COST: $5 Adults, $3 Seniors/Students, FREE for Children 12-years old and under

BeaverTails® Pastry-Eating Contest Brings Fun to Queens Quay for a Good Cause

Stop by Pier 6 at the foot of York Street during Winterfest on Toronto’s Waterfront for guaranteed fun for a good cause! The BeaverTails mascot, Beav, will be on-site all weekend to pose for pictures and will also host pastry-eating contests throughout the weekend. Photos and contest entry are FREE. BeaverTails will also be collecting non-perishable food and monetary donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank throughout the event. Call (416) 203-7786 for more information.

BEAVERTAILS PASTRY-EATING CONTEST BRINGS FUN TO QUEENS QUAY FOR A GOOD CAUSE

DATE: Saturday December 19 | Sunday December 20

TIME: 12pm-3pm

LOCATION: Outdoors at York St. and Queen’s Quay W (145 Queens Quay West)

COST: FREE (suggested: non-perishable food item or monetary donation for Daily Bread Food Bank)