Wellington West Wassail

From the Wellington West BIA:

Here we come a-wassailing!

Come one, come all to the 2nd Annual Wellington West Wassail, a chance to stroll, sip, ride, shop, listen and celebrate the holiday season on our newly upgraded main street, Wellington St West!

For the second summer in a row, the noise and dirt of a major infrastructure and beautification project have disrupted our main street. But now that the construction season is over, we invite you to come on down and share a toast to ring in the holidays and celebrate our new look!

Three hot drink stations will be serving up free cups of delicious cider at the corners of Wellington St West and Gilchrist Ave, Hinton Ave and Melrose Ave. You may also wish to hitch a ride on our horse-drawn wagons, as it ferries shoppers back and forth along Wellington St West from Island Park Drive all the way to Somerset Square in Hintonburg. Rides are free and fun for the whole family.

And while you're out buying holiday gifts, why not delight your ears with the sounds of one of Ottawa's most entertaining choirs, Folka Voca, a 40-voice contemporary ensemble run by the Ottawa Folklore Centre. Folka Voca will be kicking off the Wellington West Wassail with a free concert in the lobby of the Great Canadian Theatre Company (Holland and Wellington St W) at 12:30pm.

Now what is a wassail anyway, and why are we having one in Wellington West? A wassail is an old English term signifying public revelry, singing and sharing hot (usually alcoholic) drinks with your neighbours in celebration of the holiday season. Our family-friendly wassail will be great fun. The street is looking fabulous, shops are bursting with holiday treats, and with the smell of cider, the sounds of horse bells and voices lifted in song, Wellington West will be the place to be on Saturday November 21.

Don't forget to drop in at the Hintonburg Community Centre where the Hintonburg Community Association's Artisan Craft Fair will be taking place at the same time! This is a great sale with dozens of vendors working in every possible media.

On behalf of Wellington West BIA and its many member businesses, we hope you will enjoy our complimentary offerings and enjoy our newly renovated streetscape