The Welcome Market Asian Heritage Month Celebration review: snacks, stickers, and a North York homecoming

The Welcome Market Asian Heritage Month Celebration review has been sitting in my mental drafts folder since last year, mostly because I missed the event while I was in Jamaica. This year, we were home in Toronto, so I packed up my husband, my dog, and my very real snack agenda, and went back to my old neighbourhood: Yonge and Finch.

The event took over Mel Lastman Square on May 9 and 10, 2026, with more than 95 vendors and performances throughout the weekend. It was also free to attend, which is always a lovely sentence to read in Toronto.

Back at Mel Lastman Square

I grew up around Yonge and Finch, so walking back into Mel Lastman Square felt a little nostalgic in that very specific North York way. The square has been cleaned up and softened over the years, and the pretty plum blossom-looking trees made the whole thing feel dressed for the occasion.

We arrived around 1 p.m., which turned out to be a good call because it was busy without being overwhelming. It definitely felt like the crowd was going to build later, so my advice is to go earlier unless your hobby is standing in lines.

Ruru Baked was the first stop, of course

As soon as I walked up the steps, I saw Ruru Baked, and I basically entered snack tunnel vision. I have wanted to visit their downtown shop for ages, but it always feels just far enough away to become a “one day” errand.

They make Asian-inspired custard-based ice cream with flavours like milk tea, pandan, matcha, Earl Grey, black sesame, mango, and more. I had my eye on the sesame, the mango, and the Sukoshi Mart-inspired pandan flavour, because apparently my event strategy is “try everything pretty and worry about logic later.”

We ordered a flight and shared it, which was the right move because choosing one flavour would have been emotionally unnecessary. The miso crumble was the standout for me, especially with the candied cornflakes, which were crunchy, salty-sweet, and frankly behaving like they knew they were the main character.

I would absolutely buy that flavour by the pint next time, and I say that with my whole freezer in mind (it’s a small freezer). They also had a scoop-swap policy if you did not like your flavour, which is honestly very generous and the kind of customer service detail I notice immediately.

Cookies, drinks, and the slow market wander

After the ice cream, we wandered further into the market and did the usual slow loop of looking, pausing, doubling back, and pretending we were being casual. There was an Asian-inspired mocktail stand with K-pop-inspired drinks, which felt very on-theme for the day.

The Night Baker was there too, and I have been meaning to try them for a while. I picked up the ube cookie, pineapple bun cookie, and pandan cookie to share with family, because bringing home cookies is both thoughtful and a convenient excuse to buy more cookies.

We also stopped by Arcadia Puzzles, a brand I had seen around Markham shops before without knowing the name. Their Toronto puzzles were adorable, and the matcha puzzle and Japan-inspired vending machine design immediately caught my eye.

Rude Mama, Milk and Malai, and more swicy things

Rude Mama was there as well, and we had seen them before at a waterfront event. We tried the passion fruit flavour, and my husband loved the pineapple one, though we ended up buying the pineapple later from Summerhill Market instead.

Milk and Malai also had a booth with Filipino and Indian-inspired ice cream, but I somehow did not get anything from them. I also saw Marry Me Mochi, which I have tried before, so I felt peaceful skipping it this time.

There were plenty of hot sauce brands, treats, and small artisan makers throughout the market. Gabs and Keeks had baked goods like coconut pandan and ube coconut cake rings, and ube really is having its matcha-level moment right now.

Stationery, books, and tiny objects I did not need but admired

One booth that stood out was With Love Archive, a stationery and planner brand with inserts that gave me Filofax energy. It was pricey, but if you are the kind of person who loves building a planner setup with local goods, this would probably be very dangerous for you.

I also saw a sweet children’s book called Gung Gung’s Garden by Sheun Lee, which caught my attention because my husband’s family uses “Gung Gung” for grandfather. I almost bought it as a baby shower gift, but exercised a rare and surprising amount of restraint.

Then I saw Avatar art and, naturally, I stopped. At this point, I have been to enough Toronto artist markets that certain artists, tote bags, tufted rugs, and anime-inspired pieces start to feel familiar in the best way.

Stickers, pottery, earrings, and market temptation

Bowl Cut Paper Goods had the cutest stickers, and I did not buy any even though I deeply love stickers. This was either growth or a mistake, and I am choosing not to investigate.

I saw a spoon rest shaped like a folded napkin, which was such a clever little pottery piece. It felt like the kind of gift that makes someone say, “Wait, where did you get this?” and then actually use it.

I did buy earrings from an artist because handmade earrings are one of my soft spots. They were $20 each, and I love finding pieces that feel a little different without looking like they are trying too hard.

Cute art, name tags, and charm bars

I also picked up some children’s-book-inspired stickers from Mad Love Creative for my laptop. A laptop can only be plain for so long before the stickers begin calling.

Small Hours Workshop had custom name tags that would make such a sweet gift.

There were also lots of handmade cards (like the ones by Foonie), bookmarks, and relatable stickers, which are basically the stationery table holy trinity.

One of my favourite stops (Nokshatara) had a cute Zutara print, which I bought immediately because some ships simply follow you into adulthood. The artist also had funny, very relatable stickers, including a few marketing ones that made me feel gently perceived.

Haley Made also stood out, even though I did not buy anything there (this time). She had bok choy earrings, colourful pieces, and a charm bar where you could build your own accessory, which was such a fun idea.

Final thoughts on The Welcome Market

The market also had vintage clothing, character macarons from Petite Paire, anime-style shirts, little bags, charms, bookmarks, and a few familiar convention-style vendors.

We also came across 6ix Treats, a cookie brand inspired by different Toronto neighbourhoods, including a Jane and Finch-inspired flavour, which felt very fitting for a North York day.

I passed on Vintage Noon’s sunscreen for sensitive skin because it was lovely but pricey. We met a cute dog, did one last little wander, and called it a day before my tote bag developed its own postal code.

Overall, I had a really fun time at The Welcome Market’s Asian Heritage Month Celebration. It felt like a good mix of snacks, local makers, familiar Toronto artist-market energy, and a sweet excuse to revisit the neighbourhood where I grew up.

Would I go again? Absolutely, especially if Ruru Baked brings back that miso crumble, because I have unresolved business with those candied cornflakes.