A cherished piece of Toronto’s holiday magic will be missing this year, marking the end of a long-standing local tradition.
For decades, the Hudson’s Bay Company holiday window displays were a beloved downtown ritual, and one of the city’s most iconic signs that the festive season had truly arrived.
Watchers would famously gather along the sidewalk at the Queen and Yonge flagship store, peering into the elaborately designed displays. Spanning multiple windows, the animated scenes, from glittering workshops to festive animals, would be unveiled to kick off the holiday rush for generations of Toronto families.
The tradition didn’t actually begin with Hudson’s Bay. It was a legacy inherited from the Simpsons department store, which originally occupied the iconic Queen and Yonge building. As far back as the 1930s, Simpsons was famous for its magical Christmas windows, creating a festive destination for shoppers.
When Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) acquired the Simpsons chain in 1978 and eventually rebranded the flagship store, it wisely adopted this beloved holiday custom. Over the decades, HBC built upon the tradition, turning it into a spectacular annual event.
In its heyday, the “window reveal” was a massive public celebration. Far from a simple curtain drop, the event grew to rival a major concert, even attracting major international stars for the occasion. In 2016, Mariah Carey performed for massive crowds, and in 2017, the a cappella group Pentatonix was the headline act.
The celebration became so large that it required the complete closure of Queen Street between Yonge and Bay Streets, accommodating thousands of spectators who gathered for the music, fireworks, and the first look at the new displays.
This year, however, the glass will remain dark. The iconic tradition, which had already been paused for the past few years due to ongoing construction, will not be returning.
In 2023, the window displays were suspended for the first time in memory. The cause was the massive, multi-year construction project for the new Ontario Line subway, which turned the sidewalk and street in front of the store into a major construction zone.
This year, the change is, unfortunately, a permanent one. The Hudson’s Bay Company, known as North America’s oldest retailer, officially closed all of its stores nationwide as of June 1, 2025.
While the city still has many festive lights and markets, the unique spectacle at Queen and Yonge was a one-of-a-kind event for many. Those who made the annual pilgrimage a part of their holiday celebrations will be saying goodbye to an unforgettable piece of Toronto’s history.