The excitement could be heard in Mayor John Taylor’s voice as he officially kicked off the opening of Newmarket’s newest signature event last night.
Ice Lounge, a four-day transformation of a portion of Main Street, began Thursday evening and will have events running until Sunday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m., with alcohol openly allowed throughout.
Taylor said that the town recognized that the winter can be long and the summer is always jam-packed with exciting events, and that an anchor event like Ice Lounge was needed for the colder months.
“Something to bring everyone out to enjoy themselves,” he said. “Sit outside, wander into a store, and shop local.”
The launch of the event comes on the heels of Newmarket winning an award last year for having the best events in Ontario and recently winning the farmers market of the year for all of Ontario.
Taylor said one of the big reasons the town won the awards is due to support from sponsors and local business partners.
“We have businesses who want to be a part of making the community more fun and more exciting, and more vibrant,” he said. “They want to support us in building one of the best places to live in Canada.”
One of the biggest sponsorships in town, Taylor said, has been Mercedes-Benz Newmarket, which played a key role in bringing the Ice Lounge to life.
Mercedes-Benz Newmarket managing partner Brian Fulton said the dealership, recently recognized nationally for its participation in the community, puts a priority on giving back to the community that supports it.
“It’s wonderful to be a part of this township,” he said.
Taylor said he hopes the community can feel all the work that’s gone into the event and takes the time to enjoy all that it offers over the weekend.
“Huge shoutout to our businesses who work so hard to make sure we have one of the best Main streets,” he said. “This is one fun place to be."
Part of the kickoff of the event was an unveiling of ice sculptures, which included an ice sculpture of the Town of Newmarket sign with a funnel in it.
To show off his passion for the event, Taylor closed his remarks by pouring a beverage through the ice sculpture funnel to cool his drink before enthusiastically shouting, “I feel like I’m back in university.”
A rundown of the events being offered at Ice Lounge this weekend can be found here.
