Out & About #397 | Light Up The Square 2017

​Similar to the previous year, Mississauga's Holiday Street Market - otherwise known as Light Up The Square - returned for another year of lights and family-friendly fun.

​Food trucks and specialty vendors were again in presence, but this year, inflatable igloos, live music, marshmallow-roasting over bonfires, and strings upon strings of gorgeously colourful lights were added to the roster.

​I had initially been hoping to find The Chai House, which had left a strong impression with their tasty, toasty chai tea. Unfortunately, there were nowhere to be found at the event; beverage vendors in general were actually pretty scarce.
Rabba, the primary sponsor of the event, provided hot chocolate to attendees, though its quality was far below the memorable brew I had so vividly recalled.

​Apiecalypse Now made an unexpected appearance. Back in May, I had barely missed the opening hours of the vegan pizza diner to try their dairy- and egg-free pies for lunch. Given their participation, I was hoping to witness some of their savoury dishes for sale. Regrettably, only spreads, cookies, and shortbread seemed to be available.

​The sole modern clothing retailer had also failed to be reinstated. It seemed that trendy fast-food items were the focus this time around: CNE-style deep-fried Oreos and "finger funnels" (funnel cake sticks), sodium-laden spiraled potatoes, sugar-encased Chimney rolls, and pulled pork poutine were amongst some of the food truck offerings. 

​Several vendors had on the responsibilities of selling quintessential holiday-themed merchandise, ranging from toques to knitted garments. (Just how adorable is that alpaca?) One tends to spot such conventional shops around every corner at the Toronto Christmas Market, however the difference lay in that some of the stalls at the Mississauga Holiday Street Market were associated with local charities.

​Adjacent to the bonfire, for example, were marshmallows and "s'mores kits" being sold at $2 and $5 respectively, with proceeds going towards the Mississauga Food Bank. Personally, I quite liked this idea, as children could have their fun and parents could feel less guilty about splurging on temporary enjoyment.
The fumes were a tad ruthless at one point, but I definitely appreciated that there were several bonfires situated along the edge of the articial greenery to distribute guests evenly. The Downtown Brampton Christmas Market had featured a single bonfire, which rapidly became crowded due to the eager marshmallow-roasters and warmth-seekers.

​Light Up The Square was a pleasant way to spend an astoundingly mild Saturday evening. Though, I could have done without the lineups and strollers being rammed into my ankles. One hour is more than sufficient in experiencing the event, so I would likely still visit next year (should the parking situation not be extremely dire).