With 2014’s holiday season now in full swing, here are a few highlights events of the next week or two in Toronto.

Holiday Magic in Bloor-Yorkville

On display since mid-November and continuing until the end of December, Holiday Magic is the official seasonal celebration of fashionable Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood in midtown Toronto.  Local business and public spaces in the area are decked out with spectacular lighting, creative store window displays and fanciful holiday decorations, and many businesses are offering special savings or offers during the duration of Holiday Magic.

While in the neighbourhood to check out the displays, consider slipping into one of the local galleries or museums to warm up. The Liss Gallery is featuring an exhibition of the art of Dr. Seuss until December 24th, with a particular focus on his holiday classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Handel’s Messiah at Roy Thomson Hall and The Nutcracker at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

Two of Toronto’s most beloved holiday traditions begin limited engagements this week. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s acclaimed musical performances of George Frideric Handel’s famed oratorio Messiah begin on Tuesday, December 16th this year, with nightly performances continuing on December 17th, 19th, and 20th before closing with a matinee performance on Sunday, December 21st. Don’t miss this impressive experience of a seasonal classical masterpiece. Tickets from $38.

Meanwhile, the National Ballet of Canada’s annual production of Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker begins performances on Sunday, December 14th and continues through January 3rd, 2015. This seminal seasonal work is always tremendously popular with cultural devotees of all ages. Tickets start at $26.

Don’t forget ongoing holiday events such as the Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District, Casa Loma’s 100 Years of Christmas display (including Christmas trees decorated in the varying styles of the past ten decades), and Soulpepper Theatre Company’s annual stage production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. For more details on these events and other ideas for seasonal activities, check out the Holiday Events listing on Toronto.com.

Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services is your transportation provider of choice during the holiday season as it is the rest of year. Allow one of our limousines to transport you to whichever personal or public seasonal events fill up your busy schedule this year in comfort, ease, and style.