Top 5 Holiday Activities in Mississauga

If you’re known to visit shopping malls and/or plazas, enjoy festive lighting or own a calendar, you know the holidays are upon us and have been since midnight on Halloween (not that I’m complaining, I love a good Christmas display in a department store). While most of the Santa Claus parades and tree lighting festivals are behind us, December is packed with holiday activities that are worth checking out. Here they are, in no particular order.

Visit Port Credit

Port Credit is a great place to visit any time of year, especially if you’re in the mood for a space that’s both walkable and scenic. If you’re the festive type, there are a few holiday activities you can partake in in the city within the city. If you have kids (or enjoy reliving the brighter moments of your childhood), you can score some Free Pictures with Santa at Keller Williams Realty Solutions on Dec. 11 from 5-7:30 pm. If you’re the giving sort, check out the 6^th Annual ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas wrap party on Sunday, Dec. 14 at Roc ’n’ Docs for the Southside Shuffle toy drive. If you enjoy Christmas carols — singing them, mainly — you can joyfully unite with other festive songbirds for the 40^th Caroling in the Park event, which will take place on Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm in the Port Credit Memorial Park.

Christmas Shop in Streetsville

Streetsville, being a folksy, traditional sort of place, is the perfect destination for anyone looking for a traditional red-suited nutcracker to holiday-i-fy their faux fireplace. A great destination for vibrant holiday décor is the award-winning Crafted Décor shop on Queen St. S. It’s a good place to go for seasonal accoutrement and homey North American, European and Australian-produced home goods that are perfect all year round. Another independent shop to check out for eclectic and original gifts is Queen Street’s Shop For All Reasons. Once you’re done shopping, you can indulge your holiday spirit further at Cuchulainn’s Irish Pub on Queen for the Customer Christmas Karaoke Party on Dec. 22 and the Ugly Christmas Sweater Open Mic night with Zaddy on Dec. 23.

Indulge Your Love of Classical and Holy Christmas Music

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If you’re unable to carol in the park because you were cursed with an unpleasant singing voice and/or dislike walking (especially when it’s cold out), you can enjoy music produced and performed by the talented professionals of the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. On Saturday, Dec. 13, the symphony will perform the festive Hallelujah! Messiah and Friends concert at the Living Arts Centre. Tickets start at $30. All ages are welcome. 

Indulge Your Love of Charles Dickens in Meadowvale

Any true lover of the holidays knows how important it is to watch some variation or adaptation of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol — or at least they should! For some people, an annual screening of the 1951 classic film with Alastair Sim is enough. For others, it’s more than worth it to see the famous tale unfold on stage at Meadowvale Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 14 and Monday, Dec. 15 at 2 pm. Seeing the play is a good way to celebrate giving, important life lessons brought to you by ghosts, literature, the holidays and local talent, so check it out.

Outdoor Ice Skating

Nothing screams “winter” and “Christmas” more than lacing up your skates and hitting an outdoor sheet of ice — and Mississauga has a few rinks to choose from. The biggest and most popular one is located at Celebration Square and it’s open daily from 10am to 10pm, even on Christmas Day. If you’re like me and you don’t own a pair of skates, you can rent some on site. The Burnhamthorpe Arena offers an outdoor covered rink for skaters who’d rather not suffer a cold red nose, but they don’t have any rental blades available. You can skate there for free Monday through Friday from 10am to 12 noon, Saturday from from 11am to 3pm and Sunday 12pm to 3pm. The Woodhurst Heights Park Outdoor Skating Rink is set to open later on this month, weather permitting.

Bonus: While it’s important to be giving and mindful all year round, the holidays are a wonderful time to focus on creating a fairer, happier and more prosperous Mississauga. The city is holding a food and toy drive in conjunction with the Salvation Army that will run from Dec. 8-19. You’re invited to drop food and toy donations for needy families in the boxes underneath the Christmas tree in the Great Hall in the Civic Centre.