Burlington’s 2nd Annual Holiday Market a Hit

This past weekend saw market stalls and music setting the stage for the upcoming holidays at the second annual Burlington Holiday Market. We visited, sampling chocolate, pretzels, and hot apple cider, taking in the sights and sounds of happy shoppers enjoying the festive atmosphere.

*_{Ivy + Soy booth at the Burlington Holiday Market.}*

*_{Mainprize Soap and Lotion Supply booth at the market (left) and their Perceptive Persimmon bath bomb (right).}*

Vendors were all smiles despite the cold, selling everything from handmade candles to bath bombs, honey soda to tea towels. Ivy + Soy (pictured above) came from Vaughan with their 100% soy candles, featuring scents like Caffeine Fix and Better Days (Life Before 2020). Mainprize Soap and Lotion Supply lived up to their tagline, “Expressive bath and body products,” with their adorable Perceptive Persimmon holiday bath bombs (also pictured above).

*_{Crowd enjoying the City Hall location of the market; more was across the street at the Elgin Promenade.}*

The City Hall market location also featured Chachalate, a Toronto-based chocolate company, whose chocolate is made of only two ingredients: cocoa beans and organic cane sugar. The small-batch bean roasting process allows for the naturally fruity flavours of the beans to shine in their delicious bars, a different taste experience compared to the big chocolate companies’ products.

*_{Chachalate’s booth: beans and bars.}*

Across the street at the Elgin Promenade, Do + Dare Undie Co. displayed their cheeky (literally and figuratively) wares, with founders Sarah and Rob showing us different ways to wear them (pictured below). This Burlington-based company prides itself on the comfort of their product and on using only eco-friendly bamboo. Underwear can be purchased plain or printed with various slogans; see their Grinch undies pictured below.

Also in the Elgin Promenade were Salt + Mustard, who sell, as their name implies, salt and mustard — but in many savory iterations. Candles and Palms brought their soy candles in different sizes and in scents like bourbon, citrus and sage, coffee caramel, and campfire. Another Burlington-based company featured in this location was Toques from the Heart (see main photo), with their beautiful toques in a great selection of colours and with a great social impact: for every toque purchased, the company gives a toque to a Canadian experiencing homelessness.

*_{Do + Dare Undie Co.’s Sarah as undie ninja (left); Do + Dare undies; and Do + Dare’s Rob showing off his holiday boxers.}*

*_{Candles and Palms candles and Salt + Mustard’s wares.}*

A good mix of products, tasty food, and a number of Burlington-based vendors made for a fun holiday market — we’ll look forward to next year’s Burlington Holiday Market!

Meanwhile, the Handmade House also put on a small holiday market in their parking lot on Pearl St. Vendors included Burlington clay artist Andrea MacDougall (Clay Whimsy); Burlington fine artist Jude Phillips, whose bright and beautiful work often features local landscapes; earrings, necklaces, and bracelets from Three Peas Design Co.; handmade bath bombs and soaps from Bubba Suds; and bracelets, keychains, and printed shirts from Graceful Designs.

*_{Graceful Designs booth (left); Clay Whimsy’s adorable cookie magnets (right).}*

_{Fine artist Jude Phillips (left); some of Phillips’ art (right).}

*_{Bubba Suds’ bath bombs (left) and Three Peas Design Co. (right).}*

There were also scrunchies at the Sew Nineties booth, resin bookmarks and jewelry from Myhticepoxy, and beautifully broken and then repaired ceramics, based on the Japanese kintsugi technique, by Tasia McEvoy of the Gilded Monarch.