ELORA – The Village of Elora will become the Village of Lights during the so-called arctic months of January, February and March – and the weekend events begin on Friday.
Local businesses came up with a combined $50,000 and Kat Florence will fund $100,000 for a promotional campaign designed to draw people to Elora.
The Village of Lights will run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 4 to 8pm from Jan. 17 to March 16.
At 6pm all the lights on the downtown businesses will be turned on all at once “creating a spectacular display,” according to a press release.
There will be performances by local highland dancers and pipe bands as well as food trucks offering cheese fondue, sausage, and currywurst. There will be hot drinks from local vendors and warm, oven-baked treats.
And much like at Christmas, there will be an outdoor market with chalet-style structures for vendors.
If traffic becomes overwhelming, Kat Florence will offer a shuttle service from the Elements Casino to downtown.
The weekends will have an “après ski” feel, said Kat Florence’s Don Kogen and it is hoped it will draw enough visitors to keep businesses open through the winter.
The Elora Christmas Market drew many visitors to town, and ire from some residents, who were frustrated at the traffic, lack of parking and garbage.
Kogen said organizers have coordinated with the township and hope they have addressed those concerns this time around.
Kat Florence is also launching the “Icons” series – a unique pairing of Canadian musical talents with food from the chefs of some iconic Canadian restaurants in the intimate setting of the Granary, which is part of the Elora Mill.
The series begins Jan. 17 with Jann Arden and chef Ron McKinley from Canoe restaurant in Toronto.
On Feb. 21 it’s Broken Social Scene paired with chef Patrick Kriss of Toronto’s Alo restaurant.
The final show in the Icons series is March 14 but the performer and chef have not yet been announced.
The venue is small for such iconic performers with room for just 200 patrons, making for an intimate and exclusive experience. It’s also pricey, with tickets selling for $695 per person. Despite the cost, the events are nearly sold out.
Information can be found at theicons.ca.