Bright Lights returns to Windsor with holiday market of local vendors

Bright Lights is returning to Windsor's Jackson Park with more illumination and displays than last year, according to the city.

Not only that, the month-long event will have a holiday market where a list of vendors will rotate through, from food to handmade goods.

"Beauty this year, is that things change," said mayor Drew Dilkens. He encouraged people to visit the park multiple times as the experience will be different with changing vendors.

Anissa Noakes will be one of them. She is the owner of Urban Art Market and the captain of Rose City Etsy Team, which helped the city bring WE Made It: Holiday Market to the event this year.

"I think we had over 70 applications," said Noakes. "There's so much creativity in the city that you can find pretty much anything."

She said there will also be a number of food vendors from local shops, like Road Chef and Simon Steeps Tea.

According to Dilkens, they're able to make the event bigger this year because they put in the proper infrastructure last year.

He mentioned additional parking spaces for visitors, paved gravel paths and hinted at a train running in the kids' section.

The city is anticipating even more visitors than last year, which totalled to about 16,000.

"You're going to be blown away this year," said Dilkens.

Bright Lights Windsor will kick off on Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. It will remain at Jackson Park until Jan. 6.