

Codi Wilson, CP24.com





Organizers of the Toronto Christmas Market are hoping an admission fee will help curb the large weekend crowds that are interfering with the “magic” of the annual event.

Entry to the market, located in the city’s Distillery District, has always been free but this year, a $5 admission fee is being instituted on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission will be free for those who attend the market on weekdays.

In a statement posted on the market’s website, Mathew Rosenblatt, the executive producer of the Toronto Christmas Market, said nearly half a million people attended the 21-day event last year and added that the festival has become “a victim of its own success.”

“The introduction of an admission program is in direct response to the incredible crowds that we experienced on the weekend in 2014,” Rosenblatt said.

“The mission of the event is to create an unforgettable experience … and we cannot deliver on that goal if visitors cannot walk around freely and unencumbered.”

Rosenblatt said the massive crowds have taken away from the “romance” and “magic” of the market.

“We want our visitors to leave here with smiles on their faces and the holiday in their hearts. Lineups inside and outside of the festival can detract from that experience, so we needed to come up with a way to redistribute the weekend traffic to the weekdays where more capacity can be absorbed,” he said.

Organizers say some of the funds raised from the admission fee will be donated to Daily Bread Food Bank, Plan Canada, and The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund.

A portion of the money will be used to help grow the Toronto Christmas Market’s programming and installations.

The market is open Tuesday to Sunday and runs from Nov. 20 to Dec. 20.