PHOTOS: Haligonians gather for opening weekend of Evergreen Festival
The festival began this weekend on Halifax’s waterfront
![A man hold a little child on his shoulders. The child is reaching towards the Evergreen sign of the festival placed above their heads.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dad-and-son-Evergreen-sign-scaled.jpg)
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The Evergreen Market entrance sign on on Nov. 24, 2023.Evergreen Bright, a walkable outdoor holiday light display with installations throughout downtown Halifax, is among the attractions offered by the Evergreen Festival this year.
Visitors can also experience a free winter sports zone located on the waterfront. This past past weekend, Haligonians played hockey, archery and curling among other sports on a waterfront parking lot. Some of the attendees cozied up to a live broadcast of the Halifax Mooseheads game on an outdoor screen.
Free stage performances by local bands and musicians were delivered by the Halifax Jazz Festival and hosted at the Halifax Beer Garden.
The Evergreen Festival is a four-week outdoor celebration of Nova Scotian culture, which this year began on Nov. 24. This year’s waterfront holiday market has 22 wooden chalets with vendors from across the province selling local food, crafts, spirits and gifts.
![Vendor inside a wooden chalet reaches for a bottle and looks towards a woman laughing](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Liquor-vendor-and-customer-1-1212x1212.jpg)
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A spirit vendor speaks to a customer at the Evergreen Market on Friday.![Mascot waving towards a smiling vendor inside wooden chalet.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mascot-and-vendor-1212x808.jpg)
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The Evergreen Festival’s new mascot, Spruce the holiday gonk, was spotted cheering visitors and vendors at the market on Friday.![Man holding a bow and arrow.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Archery-1212x808.jpg)
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Archery is one of the activities visitors can enjoy at the festival’s winter sports zone.![Woman standing in wooden booth.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Liquor-booth-1212x1212.jpg)
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Local vendors at the Evergreen Market offer a variety of products, including spirits.![Little girl and Man jumping on glowing pebbles.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Little-girl-and-her-dad-photo-1212x794.jpg)
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Visitors of the festival eagerly jumped on the glowing pebbles displayed on the waterfront.![Family playing ball hockey.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hokej-1212x808.jpg)
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Families gathered to play ball hockey in the winter sports zone of the festival.![Two people setting up curling game on glowing table.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Curling-couple-1212x757.jpg)
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Curling games are one of the activities offered at the winter sports zone of the festival.![Man and woman walking through a glowing cube maze.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Couple-cubes-1212x808.jpg)
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A light maze installation is displayed on the waterfront.![Man and woman by a table with bonfire.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Two-people-by-fire-table-1212x808.jpg)
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Visitors gathered at the Evergreen Market to shop local food, crafts and spirits and enjoy an outdoor bonfire.![Children playing at the Wave on Halifax's waterfront.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Children-whale-1212x891.jpg)
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Holiday light displays are installed throughout downtown Halifax.![Girl sitting near a bonfire table looking at her phone.](https://signalhfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Girl-at-table-1212x1212.jpg)
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Fire tables were put out for visitors to warm up and enjoy the outdoor events.Correction:
About the author
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Victoria Brzezinski-Szadzianis
Victoria is a Franco-Polish student. She moved to Halifax to study journalism at King's. She's in her fourth year of the BJH program.