Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Taste of Port Credit, BBQ Book Launch at Lighthouse

Community, businesses, media barbecue on the patio at Port Credit Lighthouse launches summertime events  


Several Port Credit area chefs at lighthouse book launch and bbq.
Taste of Port Credit Chefs Barbecue
A number of chefs and staff from Port Credit restaurants served up grilled meats, seafoods, veggies and fruits today on the Lighthouse patio to kick off the Taste of Port Credit 'passports' campaign that runs from June 15 to August 15.

About 39 "Places to eat in Port Credit' are listed on the passport, from ice cream parlours to fine dining restaurants, pubs and pizza parlours, and slow cooked and fast food. Taste of Port Credit passports are being mailed to residents, and are also available for pick-up at participating restaurants and at the Lighthouse on Lakeshore Road at the Credit River, in Mississauga.

Over the next two months, dine out at participating businesses and get your passport stamped for a chance to win a $1,000 gift certificate.  See Taste of Port Credit on the Paint the Town Red web site for details.

Canada Day Display at Port Credit Lighthouse Barbecue
Canada Day Paint the Town Red display continued the day's red and white color theme. The Port Credit lighthouse is the office of the local BIA, and the site of many community events, indoors or out on the patio that overlooks the Credit River and Lakeshore Road bridge. One can only wonder the thoughts of passing motorists during outdoor events. The lighthouse was a transfer point for the Olympic Torch relay in December 2009.

Dave Barrow,  Singer  Songwriter, Mississauga Ontario
And to add to the ambiance, Mississauga's Dave Barrow strummed and sang for the lunchtime barbecue crowd. Yes, he takes requests, and is most gracious when audience members sing along. Barrow is set to perform at the Paint the Town Red celebrations on Canada Day. See his website for more information.

John Bozzo and Rob Rainford at Port Credit Lighthouse Barbecue
John Bozzo, left, owner of La Villa Fine Foods and Bakery, a major sponsor of many community events in Port Credit, talks 'grilling' with author/chef Rob Rainford, who was on hand to sign Born to Grill , his new barbecue cookbook.  See Rainford's web site for more information on this Jamaica-born Canadian chef who knows his way around a grill.

Breadsticks and Barbecue Port Credit Lighthouse Patio
Bozzo and Rainford and friend with loaves of fresh-baked bread in the foreground, and the Port Credit arena in the background. In between lies Memorial Park, the venue for this weekend's free Mississauga Waterfront Festival and Port Credit's Canada Day fireworks, concerts, market stalls and entertainers on July 1.

Strawberries dipped in chocolate, brownies and protiferoles dessert at bbq.
Desserts and Cook Books at Taste of Port Credit
And just when guests thought they could eat no more, this fabulous dessert platter appeared, with chocolate-dipped strawberries, cream puffs and iced brownies. Oh, well, room for a bit more!  Today's sampling of Taste of Port Credit included jerk chicken skewers with spicy mango cubes, chunky sirloin bits, chicken skewers, lamb burgers, mini-sausage sliders, gazpacho and grilled zucchini.

Lighthouse and Over-Sized Grocery Cart Port Credit
An oversized shopping cart serves to remind us that not everyone has enough to eat. The shopping cart is a collaboration between Xtreme Tire Garage and La Villa Fine Foods and Bakery.

The cart will be part of the Port Credit Canada Day parade; the goal is to fill it with non-perishable food items to be donated to the Mississauga Food Bank.

Out-sized Grocery Cart at Port Credit Lighthouse
John Bozzo (right) located the out-sized cart near Ottawa, ON, and although it was in poor condition,  arranged to have it picked up and brought to Port Credit. He contacted Jason Segato (left) at Xtreme Tire to refurbish it. New wheels and more, hours of sanding and painting, et voila! A great shopping cart. To give scale to the size of the cart, Bozzo and Segato climbed aboard for the photo.

Always something happening in Port Credit!

More Port Credit events this weekend:

  • MWF (Mississauga Waterfront Festival) Friday, Saturday and Sunday. See my MWF parking blog post for parking info.
  • Farmers Market Saturday (see post for location) See my blog post about the MWF and Farm Market here.
  • Art in the Yard Saturday, June 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at 47 Mississauga Road South at Saddington Park parking lot. (Google Map).  Look for the Art in Yard poster around Port Credit and drop by and to support our local artisans

Poster for art community event in Port Credit Ontario June 16 2012



Sunday, June 10, 2012

Farm Market, Waterfront Fest, Canada Day Port Credit Summer Fun

Farmers Market Saturdays,  Mississauga Waterfront Festival on Fathers Day Weekend, and Canada Day July 1 parade and fireworks: Port Credit launches summertime festivals and events. And DO come to lunch this Wednesday!

Undeterred by yesterday's forecast rain, a lively throng turned out for the opening ceremonies on the first day of the 2012 Saturday Farmers Market, the unofficial start of Port Credit's summertime festival season.

Canada Day, Buskerfest, Famers Market logos on Port Credit BIA trailer.
Port Credit BIA Festival Trailer at Farmers Market
The gaily-painted Port Credit BIA trailer shows all the major summer festivals and events in the Village: MWF is the Mississauga Waterfront Festival, Paint the Town Red is Canada Day celebrations, Buskerfest is street theatre (mid-August) and Southside Shuffle is the jazz and music fest that is held the weekend after Labour Day (September).

Councillor Jim Tovey Opening Ceremony Farmers Market
 Port Credit area councillor, Jim Tovey (center), welcomed market-goers at Port Credit, along with representatives of the BIA and the Paint the Town Red committee. For a full list of events this summer in Port Credit, see the BIA site.

La Villa bakery  farmers market stall, Port Credit ON.
John Bozzo, La Villa Bakery stall Farmers Market
 Johnny Bozzo, the driving force behind Port Credit's 'Paint the Town Red' committee and the owner of La Villa Fine Foods and Bakery, mans his stall at the Farmers Market before his opening-ceremony duties. La Villa sponsors many events in the village, and always has a stall at the market.

Buns, pizza, muffins and coffee cakes tempting wares at Port Credit famers market.
Coffee Cakes and Bread La Villa market stall Port Credit.
 As I was taking photos of the Opening Ceremony, the aroma of something delicious wafted by. I turned to see these gorgeous coffee cakes laden with fruit. How tempting are they? But I resisted, and instead came home with fresh bagels and muffins.

See photos of produce and more from last year's market here (and a map). (I'd forgotten the Bollywood connection for last year's launch until I went to look up the post.) The market sets up in the city parking lot adjacent to the LCBO store.

Baskets of annuals and bedding plants for sale at Port Credit Farmers Market.
Bedding Plants at Farmers Market
 At this time of year, several vendors offer bedding plants, annuals and shrubs at the market, such as these cheery petunias shown above. Another vendor had large potted shrubs and perennials.  The market offerings change from week to week with new and different stalls setting up each Saturday.

Colourful pots and vases of cut flowers and tropical plants surround Stavebank Florist stall.
Stavebank Florist Stall at Farmers Market 
 Local flower shop Stavebank Florist set up a very fetching stall at the Farmers Market -- just the ticket to brighten a cloudy day! The store is located just west of Hurontario on the north side of Lakeshore Road East.  Note that street parking is paid parking weekdays and Saturdays, though some side streets have free parking. There are also a limited number of free parking spots at the market itself.

Local business Taste the 4th Sense display of jars of Bone-Sucking Mustard at farmers market.
Taste the 4th Sense Jars of Mustard 
Show me a stack of jars labelled Bone Suckin' Mustard and you just know I will take a picture! Demonstrating the diversity of offerings at the Farmers Market as well as in Port Credit at large are these tempting jars from Taste the 4th Sense on Lakeshore Road East, a few blocks east of the Market.

Ellen Timms (microphone) Farmers Market Opening Ceremonies
And that's a wrap! Ellen Timms, general manager Port Credit BIA, wraps up the Market opening day launch with an invitation for everyone to come to Port Credit next weekend -- June 15-17 -- for the annual Mississauga Waterfront Festival as well as Sunday, July 1, for Canada Day all-day and evening celebrations.


Come for lunch This Wednesday!
“Taste of Port Credit” Media Launch hosted by The PCBIA and Paint the Town Red Port Credit Community Association at the Port Credit Light House (105 Lakeshore Rd. W.) 
Wednesday June 13, 2012, 11:00am – 1:00pm 
Special Guest Celebrity Chef  is Rob Rainford of the FoodNetwork Canada’s License to Grill 
Food and refreshments will be provided by local restaurants. 
 Local chefs will be barbecuing on site.

 Note:

  •  All events at the Mississauga Waterfront Festival are free this year; in previous years, tickets were sold for the main stage shows.
  •  Canada Day events are free, including the fireworks at 10:15 p.m. July 1, with a reminder that no private fireworks are allowed.


See www.portcredit.com/festivals-a-events for full list of events this summer in Port Credit.