Merry Market/Haley Barnes XFM
Holiday market season has finally kicked off again. This time last year, strict safety protocols were in place for social distancing. As a result, many local businesses struggled to stay open or had to close down. This year, small businesses are on their way to make a comeback and spread some holiday cheer.
The annual Merry Market reopened this year at 100 Kellogg Lane. Guests are welcome to take a stroll through the festively decorated Winter Village and Twinkle Town showcasing a plethora of local vendors.
Momma’s Hummus/Haley Barnes XFM
Nadine Manuel represents Sun Sweet the Greek Chef’s vendor. Their booth showcased Momma’s Hummus, featuring local, organic ingredients and vegan options. After a year of sitting through the pandemic, Nadine encourages everyone to support local businesses.
“Talk to the vendors, be interested in our art, we are all crafters. Everything from us is all made by hand through locally sourced farmers. We used Canadian, raw chickpeas. A lot of the vendors are the same, they’ve all created their own stuff.”
She expresses her thanks to Kellogg for providing the setup for local vendors to share their passion.
100 Kellogg Lane/Haley Barnes XFM
Along with exploring the local shopping experience, there are several fun photo opportunities for memorable holiday pictures. The 35-foot tall Christmas tree decorated with Kellogg cereal ornaments is located in the Atrium entrance. Following through the entrance into Twinkle Town -the indoor part of the market- features a red phone booth decked out with festive decorations.
In the Winter Village stands a large ice sculpture at the entrance to the outdoor shopping site. Enjoy the sparkling lights and outdoor shopping, warm food and beverages. Kids have a chance to write letters to Santa and send them into Santa’s mailbox.
Red phone booth/Haley Barnes XFM
Admission to the magical shopping event is $5 for the whole weekend pass and children 12 and under are free. The market operates from 6:00pm-9:00pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00am-8:00pm on Saturdays and 10:00am-6:00pm on Sundays. Free parking is provided on 100 Kellogg Lane property. The Merry Market is on for two more weekends of December 9th-12th, and 16th-19th; which leaves lots of time to join the holiday festivities and a chance to interact with London’s local community.
Get in the holiday spirit, create some memories, and don’t forget to social distance.
