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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 25 ,2 02 1 | 20 Monday to Friday 10 am - 7 pm Saturday 9 am - 6 pm Sunday 11 am - 6 pm 25 Benjamin Rd. E., Waterloo | www.stjacobsmarket.com BlackFriday SALES! FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26 SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS It's that magical time of the year again. Amid decorated trees and twinkling lights, the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market Holiday Sip 'n Shop this past Friday was the market's first-ever artisan night mar- ket, with a second one hap- pening on Nov. 26. My family visits the mar- ket every Saturday morn- ing, and it was wonderfully surreal to experience the hustle and bustle of the mar- ket lit up at night with live music, more than 60 artisan vendors outdoors and peo- ple enjoying beverages from Stockyards Brewing Co. "My good friend Tony and I have been very busy for the last 48 hours," said Shane Schedler, a mainte- nance worker, supervisor and friendly greeter at the market. "We've installed 78 Christmas trees all over the properties, we've strung miles of lights everywhere and we're so happy to see so many people enjoying them- selves; it's a success. Tony and I are feeling very good about all the work we put in. It's spectacular." Fellow maintenance worker Tony Levante chimed in: "I can't believe the number of people who came out; families and friends are taking photos and videos, and a holiday market just puts everybody in a good mood, and that lifts our spirits as well after all the hard work." At the outdoor market, my family picked up one-of- a-kind crafts, homemade treats and discovered exqui- site Filipino desserts such as taro and pandan; south- ern-style biscuits with egg, cheese and mushroom gra- vy; and the best granola we've ever tasted, sweetened with real maple syrup. "It's got a little bit of sea salt, and people get addicted to it, customers tell me," said Heather Glumac, own- er of Muskoka Granola, giv- ing out free samples. "This is our first time here at the market; we drove all the way down from Bra- cebridge, and it is amazing to see so many people have come out." Ray Anderson of Sunny- side Up, a sheepskin and leather boutique in the mez- zanine of the main market building, agreed that the holiday market is some- thing special. "I've been here at the market for 30 years, and the turnout this evening is fab- ulous," Anderson said, showing off the red cowhide Santa hats that are always a big seller at this time of year. "I'm so impressed that the Schlegel family and market staff gave this a shot, because if you don't try it, you never know if it's going to work." In the white market tent, my family picked up our fa- vourite tofu from Sen Cui- sine, where Hanna Le al- ways greets us with a big smile. "The lights and holiday decorations are so beauti- ful, and I already have so many new customers to- night," said Le, cooking up one of their deliciously au- thentic Vietnamese dishes. As we were leaving, we ran into my friend Rob Da Silva, owner of 3D Vintage Toys, Stuff and Things, lo- cated inside Peddler's Vil- lage. "This is fantastic: the crowd is awesome, people are in the holiday spirit and it's a really cool change to be here on a Friday night," said Da Silva. "The sparkling lights at nighttime, the smell and warmth of the crackling fire with people mingling, laughing and singing -- I'm really enjoying it, and the market did an incredible job. And for me, a Christmas market is the perfect time to be a toy dealer." I'm hoping the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market Holiday Sip 'n Shop becomes a yearly local tradition, because it is a pretty magical experience. Check out more about the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market at facebook.com/stjacobs- market/. Marshall Ward is a freelance writer and artist. Check out his award-win- ning podcast "Bonn Park" with Sara Geidlinger on Apple Podcasts, Insta- gram, Twitter and Face- book. HOLIDAY SIPPING AND SHOPPING The market is at 878 Weber St. N., Waterloo. Sara Geidlinger photo OPINION ST. JACOBS FARMERS' MARKET NIGHT MARKET MAKES FOR A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE, WRITES MARSHALL WARD MARSHALL WARD Column