Searching for the best and most fun things to do in Downtown Markham?
Downtown Markham is a newer neighbourhood in Markham with a whole live/work/play concept, so there are plenty of things to do.
The neighbourhood is still in development with plenty of condos and buildings still being built, but it’s already shaping up to be such a cool area!
It’s actually meant to be the heart of Markham, and it’ll be so cool to see what it looks like when all the construction is completed.
Here are the best and most fun activities and things to do in the Downtown Markham neighbourhood!
If you’re looking for places to eat in the area, I’ve also got a post all about the best restaurants in Downtown Markham!
Be sure to also follow me on Instagram and TikTok – I share a lot more content on those platforms that don’t make it to the blog!
More things to do in Markham
If you’re looking for more fun things to do in Markham, you might enjoy these posts:
- Searching for more things to do? Check out the best things to do in Markham or these cute Markham date ideas.
- Looking for places to eat? Hit up the best Markham restaurants (including brunch, sushi, and Chinese), takeout spots, lunch spots, or patios.
- In the mood for a quick snack? Visit the best coffee shops, bubble tea shops, bakeries, or dessert places in Markham.
Best things to do in Downtown Markham
Go café hopping
There are a few different cafés in Downtown Markham that are perfect for café hopping.
Hit up Lucullus Bakery for Hong Kong-inspired drinks and snacks, Patisserie Fleur for French-inspired baked goods, and Aroma for classic coffee and tea drinks!
If you’re more of a bubble tea person, you can hit up both Chatime and Comebuy in Downtown Markham.
Chatime even has a cute neon sign with “DTM” (Downtown Markham) on it!
Kung Fu Tea and Machi Machi are just a 15 minute walk north of Downtown Markham if you’re looking for even more bubble tea options!
Eat at a Downtown Markham restaurant
Markham has sooo many amazing restaurants and food spots, and Downtown Markham has a fantastic selection of them as well.
We especially love Good Catch Bar & Cafe for their Hong Kong-inspired food, and Poke Guys is a great spot if you’re in the mood for something more casual!
Lanna Thai Restaurant and Kiu Japanese Restaurant are two other popular restaurants in the neighbourhood that are on our list to try.
They’ve also got a good selection of dessert places, whether you’re in the mood to grab crêpes from Demetres or dipped ice cream cones from La Diperie!
Snap cute Instagram photos
With Downtown Markham being such a new area, they’ve got plenty of cool photo spots that are perfect for your Instagram feed.
You’ll find all kinds of Instagrammable spots in Downtown Markham from restaurants, to murals, to even a historic building!
The historic Bradburn House is sort of hidden amongst the townhouses in the neighbourhood, and it’s such a pretty spot for photos.
There are even some cool murals inside and outside of the buildings around Downtown Markham.
If you’re looking for even more great photo spots, peep out my post on the most Instagrammable spots in York Region!
Ride on the Pride of Canada Carousel
This one’s perfect for the kiddos: a year-round merry-go-round that opens on weekends!
The prices are $3 for one ticket, $5 for 2 tickets, and $20 for 10 tickets.
Canadian artist Patrick Amiot created all the characters on the carousel using recycled and repurposed objects, while his wife painted them.
We’ve also seen people hosting birthday parties for their kids here!
There’s also a small outdoor skating rink right outside during the winter months.
LOCATION: 8080 Birchmount Rd, Unionville, ON
Walk along the trails around Rouge River
The Rouge River runs through Downtown Markham, and there are some nice walking trails that you can walk along to enjoy the relaxing views.
Since they’re still developing the area, the trails aren’t all completed, but you can still walk along some parts of them!
It’s really cool that there’s all this beauty and nature around such a bustling area of Markham.
There are also a few parks around the neighbourhood that you can enjoy:
- Roseberry Park features outdoor fitness amenities, a children’s playground, a splash pad, and the historic Bradburn House.
- Debbi Wilkes Park features a children’s playground, a splash pad, and covered picnic tables.
Watch a movie at the Cineplex
Of course, most people visit Downtown Markham to watch a movie at the Cineplex.
I love that there’s so much public art in the building where the Cineplex is – it makes it so nice to visit!
Because there’s such a large Asian community in Markham, they often have Asian films and movies playing at the Cineplex in Downtown Markham.
If you’re a fan of foreign films and anime, you’ll definitely want to catch a flick at the Cineplex in Markham.
Cineplex also still does half-priced movies on Tuesdays, so it’s a great budget activity if you’re free on a Tuesday!
LOCATION: 179 Enterprise Blvd #169, Markham, ON
Attend a festival in Downtown Markham
They host a lot of festivals and events in Downtown Markham now, and I think it’s such a fantastic venue for them!
Something I look forward to every summer is the annual Night It Up! festival, an Asian night market filled with all kinds of delicious eats.
Sadly, it’s not happening for 2023, but they do host a lot of other fun events in Downtown Markham, like fireworks, exotic car shows, and evening concerts.
Downtown Markham is just such a lively area, and I’m sure they’ll be hosting more festivals and events here in the future.
The parking situation ain’t the best when popular events like Night it Up! happen, but at least access to the YRT (public transit) is very accessible!
Best things to do in Downtown Markham:
- Go café hopping
- Eat at a restaurant
- Snap cute Instagram photos
- Ride on the Pride of Canada Carousel
- Walk along the trails around Rouge River
- Watch a movie at the Cineplex
- Attend a festival
These were some of the best and most fun things to do in Downtown Markham!
As the neighbourhood develops, there’ll be even more fun things to do, and I’ll continually update this post as more cool things open up.
Have you been to Downtown Markham? What are some of your favourite things to do in the neighbourhood? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
More things to do in Markham
If you’re looking for more fun things to do in Markham, you might enjoy these posts:
- Searching for more things to do? Check out the best things to do in Markham or these cute Markham date ideas.
- Looking for places to eat? Hit up the best Markham restaurants (including brunch, sushi, and Chinese), takeout spots, lunch spots, or patios.
- In the mood for a quick snack? Visit the best coffee shops, bubble tea shops, bakeries, or dessert places in Markham.
Be sure to keep up with me on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest if you aren’t already!
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