What began 25 years ago has grown into a beloved holiday tradition, as Alight at Night celebrates its 25th anniversary. As you approach Christ Church, you can hear the singing of Christmas carols emanating from inside. Tinkess Photo
MORRISBURG – It is hard to believe that Alight at Night, which has become such an important part of holiday tradition for so many people is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The festival, which follows on the heels of Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village, features over one million lights, which outline the heritage buildings, trees, and fences, providing a holiday backdrop that is difficult to out-do. As you walk along the roadways and paths, the sounds of the season are never far away, and if you are so lucky as to have snow falling lightly during your visit, well, you could not ask for a more perfect way to spend a winter’s evening.
For many people a visit to Alight at Night is an annual event, but this year many comments were overheard that the Village staff had really outdone themselves with so many extra activities to make the visit even more memorable. Parking, as always is free on site, but there is also special pricing with children 17 and under receiving free admission while young adults 18-24 are half-price.
Upper Canada Village is wheel-chair accessible, although weather conditions can impact this to some extent. There are also special accessibility nights which must be booked in advance. (see the website for details.)
There are also add-on activities, such as a visit with a Victorian St. Nick in his toy factory, or a ride on the miniature train, but most activities are included with admission, such as the Festive Sound and Light Show at Crysler Hall, or the sing-along to old fashioned carolling at Christ Church. There’s also holiday shopping in the Village Store, which is also a good place to find a bite to eat.
Alight at Night runs each evening until Jan. 15. Tickets are available online only, at explore.parks.on.ca, with limited tickets available for each time slot. It is a great way to celebrate the season and to extend the season just a bit. If you were looking for a family tradition to call your own, this might just be it.
Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.
