Winter Festival of Lights attendance up
Vehicle attendance is up 6.5 per cent, while donations are up 9.3 per cent, at this year’s Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls.
Organizers have also seen a 3.6 per cent spike in tour buses during the 35th anniversary of the event, which began this season Nov. 18 and will end Jan. 31.
As of Jan. 3, 58,930 vehicles have come through, up from 55,312 from that date last time.
Tina Myers, executive director of the annual festival, attributes the increases to the growing investments being made into the event.
“I think that if we continue to invest in our lighting and spread out, I think that’s what people want to see, and they want to see things that they can get interactive with,” she said.
“The Passage has been something that people have been loving, as well as the Prismatica because they can actually feel, touch, run through it, play with it — people love that kind of stuff.”
Myers said although driving conditions have been sketchy some days this winter due to snow, “when it’s a nice night and the snow is there, people love it, so it’s been really good.”
“I’ve been surprised at how many people have been bearing the cold and being out there,” she said.
The $ 1.5- million festival features new illuminations along the eight- kilometre route, including enhanced trees at the base of Clifton Hill, and a reprogrammed light show at the Toronto Power Generating Station set to music from the TransSiberian Orchestra.
Two new interactive displays were offered for a limited time: Prismatica ( Nov. 18 to Dec. 16) at Scotiabank Convention Centre featured a field of 25 prisms which turned on their bases, while The Passage ( Dec. 15 to Jan. 12) is a 24- metre- long tunnel which changes colours as people walk through at Queen Victoria Park.
The Deck the Falls Walking Tour, which took place in December, included food, beverages and entertainment along a 15- stop selfguided tour.
“Our Deck the Falls event had expanded into other areas, other ( business improvement areas), so we had everything from horsedrawn carriage rides to ice sculptures in every location,” said Myers.
“I think people really like that winter Canadian fun.”
She said the laser light shows were “quite busy,” while fireworks continue every Friday.
“We had a really busy weekend this weekend, and that kind of shows us how it will continue because it was really cold.”
Myers said it’s gratifying to see increased investment into the festival resulting in increased attendance.
“The feedback that we’re getting is people want to have more to do, they want to have different programming and activities, so they can fill up a full agenda when they’re here … and while they’re here, they get to do all the attractions and eat at the restaurants and, hopefully, stay overnight.”