Christmas tree arrives for light up and rink opening event in Mississauga

The Christmas season has arrived with Mississauga’s official light up happening soon.

Preparations were underway this week for the annual Light Up the Square event on Saturday, Nov. 23.

The tree is in place and crews were attaching the lights on Friday.

The event on Nov. 23 is the first official lighting of the Christmas tree, and the opening of the city’s largest outdoor ice rink at Celebration Square, 300 City Centre Dr., according to the City of Mississauga.

Events for the evening include skating — ice skate rentals are available on-site; photos with Santa Claus; illuminated photo stations all over the square; LED swings to play on; a Paintbox Kids Zone featuring a giant interactive digital graffiti wall; face painting; a colouring station; and performances from the Culture Dance Pack at 6:40 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.

There will also be food truck and artisanal vendors in partnership with Night Market Toronto.

Here is the schedule for the event:

• 5 p.m. – DJ  D-Smooth Live Spin
• 5:20 p.m. – Twisted Dog Theatre Puppet Show
• 6:15 p.m. – noelle
• 7 p.m. – Official Ceremony and lighting of the Christmas Tree with Mayor and Council
• 7:20 p.m. – Encore performance by noelle
• 7:50 p.m. – U.N. Jefferson
• 8:20 p.m. – Trash Panda Brass

Celebration Square will also be home to art installations for the holiday season.

The light installation, moonGARDEN will be in Celebration Square from Nov. 23 to Jan. 6. Created in 2012 by Lucion, moonGARDEN has seen by more than a million people, and toured the world, from Lyon’s Fête des Lumières to Brussels, Medellin, Beijing, and now Mississauga.

Featuring four majestic spheres that host delicate shadow theatres and soundscapes, this light installation celebrates a more inclusive world.

The square is also home to a special 50^th anniversary projection mapping installation on the Hazel McCallion Central Library façade.

In collaboration with AVA Animation and Visual Arts Inc., Mississauga artists will transform the north façade of the Hazel McCallion Central Library into a giant canvas for large-scale 3D projection mapping over the Light Up the Square between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. nightly from Nov. 22 to 24.

Through a series of workshops, selected artists have learned new digital art skills and will bring their artwork celebrating Mississauga’s 50th anniversary to life through projection mapping.

For more information see the event page here.