Out & About #860 | Light Up the Square

Between editing content from the previous week's happenings and mentally preparing for the Holiday Cookie Box (858) production line, little energy remained for further events. Ultimately, I deemed myself physically unfit for undertaking more test batches and in dire need of escaping the sporadic bursts of nonsense that would occasionally drift towards my ears.

​The answer was fresh air in the form of Light Up the Square.

​Past years evoke hazy experiences at Celebration Square, normally comprising of lights, hot beverages, and the occasional marketplace.

​Complimentary gifts from sponsors and children's games are common constituents of the event as well. Obtained from one year were touchscreen gloves and hot chocolate!

​We parked in the north garage underneath Celebration Square, and miraculously found the entrance to the elevators unlocked. Beyond the doors to P1 was tri-toned carpet bearing a pearly white City of Mississauga logo. Immediately beside the elevators were conveniently placed bathroom facilities, which we visited before heading to ground level.

​The skating rink greeted us at City Hall's south entrance. Lights, music, and more had been set up for the season's opening evening. Differing from the previous year was the overall layout: the series of benches normally finding themselves at the north end of the rink were now sectioned off with glass panels to improve flow. A food truck vendor equipped with crêpes, coffee, waffles, and ice cream had now found itself at the northeast corner. The heated patio remained, but space was exceptionally limited.

​Local artwork adorned the pillars on the northeast end of the rink, as well as on the northwest side by The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Garden, named in honour of the late British monarch. Info boards had been erected in the proximity of each of these LED-equipped installations to shed additional information.

View the full album HERE!

Beyond surreal crystal-like formations and a display case of faux cakes, we found lanterns in the form of picnic-style offerings: watermelon slices, coolers, cookie tins, and even extending to include Krispy Kreme and Mr. Puffs boxes (Heartland sugar staples).

Investigating the perimeter, we discovered many stalls offering "free swag", as university attendees once declared in early 2010s. The local fire department was present, bringing with them a flashing emergency vehicle. On their booth were fire alarm safety brochures, plastic firefighter hats for children, and tote bags.
A short lineup formed at the Allstate booth, where population of ballots with personal info would earn a chance at pachinko and potential prizes of pop sockets, pens, and a free eco-bag.

​Glorious it was as the comforting essence of hot dogs wafted into our olfactory peripheral. My yearning for sausages had gone unfulfilled since the Distillery Winter Village, leading to an unprecedented keenness towards the grill aromas. I opted to continue exploring the area before returning, hence we continued onwards, weaving around the tree, in front of the stage and its live performances, and peeking at a number of food truck menus before hovering about the Coca-Cola truck.

"Do you think it's the same one we saw at the Brampton Santa Claus Parade?" I humorously posed the question to the sleepy polar bear, who was too invested in observing the lineup for photos with Santa to hear me.

Just east of the tree was an interactive - and very familiar - light board, in which different coloured light bars could be inserted to form an image or word, as well as a Whack-A-Mole/Speed of Light hybrid that I was very much intrigued by. Hovering about for a few seconds, the sleepy polar bear reminded me that I'd likely never have my turn, as the kids occupying the contraption revealed no intent on leaving.

​At the centre of the venue was Passage, a light tunnel with an embedded platform for traversing through the colour-changing hoops. The configurations spanned: all-white and flashing, pastel points dancing along the circumference, and a dashing, Slinky-like rainbow.

​After our turn through Passage, we headed back to the Maple Lodge Farms tent. Given the short lineup, we weren't sure whether the dogs were complimentary or not. The sleepy polar bear had initially suggested splitting one, to which I had immediately refused. Soon, we learned of its gratuitous nature, and naturally took to one each. Individual ketchup and mustard packets resied on the table, each in their respective baskets. Participants could easily dress their own dogs, then toss the empty packets into the garbage, which was conveniently placed next to the table to encourage proper disposal procedures.

​The speedy, short lineup actually came as a shock - the situation would hardly have the same result in Toronto, where free fare usually entails well over sixty minutes of wait time and an immense degree of frustration.

Our hot dog turned cold as the evening temperature stooped. While I hadn't anticipated needing either, I reached into my tote to retrieve both my hand warmer packs and knitted toque from Capilano to combat the increasingly chilly conditions.

Synonymous are attendance in outdoor winter events and the purchase of hot chocolate. BeaverTails had priced their rendition at a reasonable $3 per cup. While relinquishing the fee wasn't as nearly as economic as brewing my own, it would satisfy the void in the moment.

The sleepy polar bear, being the most unbalanced of eaters, emerged at the event ravenous and impatient. In addition to the creamy hot chocolate, a Bananarama was also requested. Pairing Nutella with freshly-sliced bananas over crispy dough can never be a bad idea. However, the slab was extremely difficult to eat with Nutella dripping over the sides and smeared across the packaging. Furthermore, napkins hadn't been requested.

Our order had also come with a bonus Brwownie, which had apparently been constructed out of error and consequentially bestowed upon us. This one wasn't consumed until at least thirty minutes later, at which point the dough had turned rigid and radiated the stench of fryer grease. The brownie bites had been a nice, chewy touch, though the same remark could not be extended to the miniature white chocolate cylinders - toppings we had assumed to be mini marshmallows. On the bright side, the Nutella had solidified, no longer a sloshy, sticky mess.

During the wait, stage performances would serenade us. The setlist would range from Christmas classics by Mariah (sung perfectly live!) to jazzy tunes like Footloose to the 2000 pop hit of Oops!...I Did It Again, and I would, while retaining my place in line, happily dance and sing along.

​Simultaneously placed was an order for a Pabellon Arepa from The Arepa Republic. The Venezuelan handheld - our second foray into the South American cuisine - was described as "shredded flank steak, black beans, fried sweet plantain, and white cheese" encased in a grilled cornmeal pocket. By including a QR code on their menu board, orders could be placed directly on the vendor's online portal, noted for pickup at "Food Truck 1", and with the payment process facilitated by Square (credit/debit) and Google Pay.

A handful of other vendors had also implemented QR codes at their stalls. In spite of this technological incorporation, it remains a mystery whether the process was, in fact, made more efficient. Our order from The Arepa Republic surely was not.

​Crowds begun to gather for the 7 PM Tree Lighting Ceremony. And while it was a crowd nonetheless, the volume was nowhere near the calamity that was the Distillery District on the Winter Village's Opening Day.

Following a barely audible speech from the Councillorof Ward 4, inclusive of a statement of acknowledgement for use of Indigenous lands, the tree was subjected to a gradual ascent of brilliance at 7:20 PM. Red and green lights flashed from either end of the tree and lights flickered from the bottom up in a music-accompanied sequence. There was adequate buildup to the lighting, unlike the light switch-like glow of Toronto's.
Another noteworthy aspect was the availability of breathing room and absence of pushing and shoving. We vowed to skip Distillery's ceremony next year, and just take part in tree lightings locally instead.

By the time we retreated indoors to unveil the Pabellon Arepa, an excess of moisture had escaped the sandwich. Its checked wrapping paper was atrociously soggy, yet we could not determine the origins of such moisture.

Between bites of lukewarm, crumbly cornmeal casing, a tough tumbleweed of beef, and bland, water-logged shredded white cheese, we deemed the $14 single portion an utter disappointment. The beef being merely slotted on top of the sandwich rather than mixed with the black beans and plantain strip (only one strip, not chunks) contributed another level of difficulty to the consumption process.

Across from us, a lantern-crafting event was being held. We had planned to take part as well, but the depletion of our dismal arepa coincided with their ending time of 8 PM. Though the staff had commenced taking signs down, one was kind enough to provide us with the materials for crafting our own cake slice lantern.
Onto the template we would design and colour our choice of cake slice. Next, the shape would be cut out, creased at its connecting edges, and sealed with an LED insert inside - much like the ones used in my KCON fanboards.

The activity was inspired by The Guest’s Shadow, the picnic-style installation showcased in The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Garden, and absolutely splendid for kids - or adults with budding creativity. Furthermore, it was entirely free! There was truly something for everyone at Light Up the Night.

​In a desperate attempt to walk off unpleasant feelings of satiation, I proposed navigating to Square One for speedwalking.

As opposed to following through with the original mission though, curiosity caught me gazing upon the assortment of Charlotte Tilbury products behind Holt Renfrew's giant magenta teddy bear.

​I succumbed to the purchase of the Cheek to Chic Blush in Love Glow. It had been an acquisition stemming from discussions with a coworker (over the Ecstasy shade) and propelled by the retail assistant's invitation for testing the various shades.

The sleepy polar bear resorted to the few shoe retailers in the vicinity to secure a pair of lace-up black boots that were neither slip-proof, snow-proof, nor salt-proof - in other words, entirely dysfunctional beyond the sake of, admittedly subjective, appearance. In the meantime, I continued exploring, footsteps in motion until reaching Indigo.

​On the lower level of Indigo, I found Mr. Buttons and friends. His tophat-donning mate, whom I shall refer to as Mr. Tophat from this point forward, could be found in at least a count of five. Mr. Buttons was the lone Santa hat-sporting snowman on his shelf.

Since the sleep polar bear had informed of success in downloading Just Dance 2022, the next pursuit was, naturally, playing the game.

​By the end of the night, I had attained Level 9 and a new Avatar. Familiarity with Pop Stars persists as a shaky performance, for the "Extreme" label was indicative of the game's utilization of the original choreography - one that I learned but never remembered fully.