It’s been c-c-c-old lately (although friends in Alberta think we have it good). I was afraid I’d freeze my toes off as I made my way to meet a friend at Bright Nights at Stanley Park this week. I thought about canceling and staying in where there’s central heating, but I didn’t want to disappoint my three-year-old friend, as I was the designated hot chocolate person.
And, I’m glad I went. As soon as we arrived, I started to feel really festive and forgot that it was pretty chilly out. There were lots of families milling around, checking out the two million twinkling lights strung everywhere: through the tree tops, through animated displays, and all along the train route.
I’ve been on the train many times in the summer, but never for Bright Nights, and I have to say, it was more than I expected. The entire park was blanketed in lights, with elaborate displays – an international village, Santa’s workshop, and my favourite, the moose standing in the water, lit up by sparkling lights. The kids were really excited to visit Santa in his living room as well. There are Christmas tunes playing in the background which change as you go from display to display. Also, on some nights, professional and community choirs and bands will be performing, so ask the student ambassadors on-site if they know when the next one will be.
And in the spirit of the season…all donations collected and part of the proceeds from the train tickets go to the Burn Fund to help burn victims and their families. To date they’ve raised about $1.5 million! All those twinkling lights you see are put up by more than 500 off-duty professional firefighters from around BC, who set up and take down the display.
On the way out, of course we had to stop for a big bag of hot buttered popcorn from the Stanley Park Ecology Society’s cob house. You can also get roasted chestnuts and pistachios and hot chocolate in the Plaza.
My recommendation is to buy tickets in advance. There are over 200,000 visitors each year to Bright Nights, and we were told as it nears Christmas it gets even crazier, so get tickets early to avoid disappointment. (You can get into the park for free and see the sights, but if you want to ride the train and check out the animated displays on the route, you have to buy a ticket.)
Prices are:
Adult: $8.00
Discount $5.00 (Children, Youth (2-18), Seniors (65+))
Bright Nights in Stanley Park is open every day from 3 pm to 10 pm until January 2, 2010 (closed Christmas day). If you’re driving, there are parking spots in the adjoining lot that are free after 3 pm. We had no problem finding parking, but I’m not sure about that once it gets closer to Christmas! If you’re taking transit, bus #19 stops right at the bus loop by the entrance to the Train Plaza.
Photo by keepitsurreal on Flickr. | CC BY-SA 2.0
Erin Stringer has been a freelance writer for over 10 years, and her work has appeared in various online and offline publications. She enjoys writing about all that Vancouver has to offer. Erin is a VancouverMom.ca contributor. Have some great article ideas? Find out how you can become a contributor.
