– Althea Alabat
Edmonton will be welcoming more than the snow this winter season, because there’s a new festival coming to town. BC-based Christmas Glow is Canada’s largest indoor Christmas festival and is embarking on it’s first year in the city. Edmonton will be the first Alberta-based location and the third city in Canada to house Glow, with other locations in Langley, BC and Barrie, ON.
With over 60,000 square feet of indoor space and over 500,000 lights, visitors of all ages will be able to experience and enjoy a variety of activities, entertainment, and interactive displays. Christmas Glow includes a Christmas market with over 20 local vendors, a fully licensed bar, and a musical light tunnel lit by over 50,000 lights where visitors can walk through and experience illuminating magic on display. In addition, kids can experience the indoor Magic Castle playground, write letters to Santa, visit St. Nick himself, and participate in a scavenger hunt in the Light Gardens to help find Santa’s lost presents.
According to Shannon Van Norman, the General Manager of Christmas Glow Edmonton, Glow Gardens decided to branch out to Edmonton after scouting for several locations across Canada. Glow eventually fell in love and settled for the beautiful greenhouse located at the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert (20 minutes from downtown Edmonton).
“Glow loved the greenhouse [in St. Albert] and thought it was suitable to hold the festival,” says Van Norman. The festival has been selling tickets for several weeks now, and certain nights are already sold out and select dates only have limited amount of tickets left.
“People have already bought tickets for multiple nights” says Van Norman. Van Norman also believes that the interactive light displays are perfect for any photo opportunity.
What sets Christmas Glow festival apart from any other seasonal events in Edmonton is that it takes place for the longest amount of time, running for a duration of 8 weeks until January of next year. Christmas Glow brings illuminating light shows and unique, one-of-a-kind interactive light displays, making it the first ever Christmas festival of its kind to come to Edmonton.
Christmas Glow will officially open on Thursday, November 22, 2018 and run until January 19, 2019. Tickets currently are available online at $23.99 for adults, $69.99 for families, and $16.99 for children and seniors. Children aged three and under get in for free! Tickets can be purchased at the gate as well, but will cost $2 more per person. As of right now, you can save 25% off tickets online for select dates using the code ‘EDMONTON25’. Purchase your tickets now and experience the magical glow of Christmas – perfect for date nights, family bonding, or a night out with friends!
Image courtesy of Glow Gardens Edmonton
