In the spirit of the season, I was lucky enough once again to visit Bright Nights in Stanley Park this year. It’s become an annual tradition to head down to the popular city park and enjoy the brilliant festive displays. This is sponsored by and in partial support of the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, which helps burn survivors and their families.
Aside from the village where they have all the lights and other Christmas-themed displays, there is also the famed Christmas train. This is effectively the same miniature railway that they use for the Ghost Train during Halloween, but it has been suitably decorated for the holiday season. There’s even a guy on stilts, dressed up as Rudolph, dancing away to the Village People’s YMCA (gleefully re-imagined as NOEL).
If you get there a little earlier in the day, then children can also get their photo taken with Santa Claus in his workshop. Otherwise, that building also contains some great miniature dioramas with moving trains and skating figurines. Entrance to the village is by donation, while train rides are $10 for adults. They’re closed on Christmas Day (today), but Bright Nights and the Christmas Train run until New Year’s Day.
Here is a brief video that I took of the train ride, plus a few pictures I took of the surrounding area. The Samsung Galaxy S III was used to shoot the video and the photos.
Very nice Michael. I remember this from last year I believe. I took the family to Grace Baptist Church for their annual lights festival which is extremely huge, including hot chocolate and a hay ride. Pictures and video at my website or the direct post: http://wp.me/p1cPX-oS