(Starting Location: Dupont St. & Osler St.)
The Winter Solstice is in danger!
A 24-hour Shopathon is turning night into day, and the longest night of the year is running out of darkness. Join a rag-tag team of Toronto raccoons on an outdoor holiday musical adventure to turn off the lights, save the Solstice, and get some much-needed winter rest.
Set along the Junction’s West Toronto Railpath, A Raccoon Solstice is a family-friendly winter spectacle filled with original songs and a travelling live band. Despite their differences, our unlikely heroes must come together (along with your help!) to outsmart the Shopathoners and restore peace, rest, and balance just in time for Solstice night.
Produced alongside Common Boots Theatre, A Raccoon Solstice marks the exciting return of a beloved Toronto tradition of outdoor winter theatre, bringing families together to bundle up, follow the story through an iconic city landscape, and experience real winter magic.
Choose your performance below
Tuesday, December 8 at 5 PM
All tickets $20
Please note: This is a preview performance. The production will be fully staged for an audience, with the creative team continuing to make final adjustments before Opening Night on December 9.
For tickets to performances from December 9–20, close this section and open the “Performances · Dec. 9–20” option below.
Performances at 5 PM
Dec. 9–12 & 15–20
Group bookings are available now, including holiday and staff party bookings. Contact brian@theatredirect.ca to learn more.
An outdoor musical adventure: Follow the performers and a travelling live band along the West Toronto Railpath, stopping at different locations as the story unfolds.
Up to 75 minutes outdoors: The performance takes place entirely outside in winter weather. Please dress warmly, with layers, a winter coat, hat, gloves, and warm footwear with good grip.
Approximately 800 metres of walking or rolling: The route travels from Osler Street to Wallace Avenue, with stops along the way. It finishes at a different location from where it begins; returning to the starting point adds to your total travel distance.
Winter conditions: The route may include uneven, wet, snowy, or icy surfaces, depending on the weather.
A shared public space: Expect cyclists, runners, pedestrians, and dogs along the Railpath. Please make space for others to pass. Public art, graffiti, and other messaging along the route may include adult language.
The West Toronto Railpath is a public, city-managed trail stretching 2.1 kilometres (approximately 6,890 feet) from Cariboo Avenue to Dundas Street West at Sterling Road.
A Raccoon Solstice follows a section of the Railpath from Osler Street to Wallace Avenue, with stops along the way as the story unfolds.
We’re sharing this public space with the everyday life of the city. The route may include public art, graffiti, and other messaging, including some adult language. You are welcome to take in your surroundings in whatever way feels comfortable for you.
The Railpath remains open to cyclists, runners, pedestrians, and people walking their dogs during the performance. We ask audiences to gently make space for others to pass.
The performance begins at Osler Street near Cariboo Avenue, just north of Dupont Street.
By TTC
26 Dupont bus, travelling west: Get off at Dupont Street at Osler Street, then walk north on Osler Street to Cariboo Avenue.
26 Dupont bus, travelling east: Get off at Dupont Street at Edwin Avenue East Side, then head west to Osler Street and north to Cariboo Avenue.
From Dundas West Station: Take the 40 Junction–Dundas West bus to Dundas Street West at Humberside Avenue, then walk east along Humberside Avenue to the Railpath and follow it north to the Cariboo Avenue entrance.
Check TTC service updates before travelling.
Planning Your Return
The performance finishes at Wallace Avenue, approximately 800 metres south of the starting point. If you park near Osler Street, allow time to return to your vehicle after the show.
A Raccoon Solstice is an outdoor promenade performance that takes place in winter weather. Please dress warmly and wear footwear suitable for walking outdoors. The performance moves along the West Toronto Railpath and may include uneven, wet, snowy, or icy surfaces depending on conditions.
A Raccoon Solstice takes place outdoors in winter weather. Performances generally go ahead in cold temperatures and snow, so please dress warmly and wear suitable winter footwear.
Performances will be cancelled if wind chill reaches –28°C or below, an Extreme Cold Warning is in effect, or other conditions make it unsafe to proceed. These may include freezing rain, icy surfaces that cannot be made safe, heavy rain, lightning, high winds, or unsafe air quality. We may cancel at warmer temperatures if conditions along the route are unsafe.
Ticket holders will be notified of cancellations by email. We may also delay, pause, or stop a performance if conditions worsen.
The route is fully accessible subject to weather conditions.
If you have any access needs, including mobility considerations, or if someone in your party will be using a wheelchair or other mobility device, please let us know at brian@theatredirect.ca when booking so we can help plan the best possible experience.
WRITERS & DESIGNERS: Alexandra Simpson & Morgan Brie Johnson
DIRECTOR: Lisa Marie DiLiberto
MUSIC DIRECTOR: John Millard
MUSICIANS: Germaine Liu, Matti Pulkki
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Trevor Schewellnus
Dramaturgy: Derek Kwan & Lisa Marie DiLiberto
Music Created in Collaboration with: Sabine Ndalamba
Casting to be announced
Theatre Direct is a Registered Charity • BN 119214146RR0001