Shawn Conner presents five reasons to check out Bright Nights in Stanley Park:
1 Three million
That’s how many lights are sparkling up the Bright Nights Christmas Train and Stanley Park Train Plaza. The attraction also features displays, food vendors and live music on weekends.
2
Beverley O’Toole
This year, the O’Toole family donated $50,000 worth of lights and decorations to the Vancouver board of parks and recreation. The Christmas items — which filled a shipping container — belonged to their late mother Beverley. Some of the holiday goodies are a life-size sleigh with Santa and eight reindeer, a giant Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and custom-order pieces, including wooden cut-outs depicting a cartoon family of gift-giving poodles (O’Toole kept and showed standard poodles). You can see many of these donations at Bright Nights.
3
The train
Now in its 20th year, Bright Nights in Stanley Park attracts more than 250,000 people annually. There are matinee and evening trains, and the night trains feature live performers.
4
The reviews are in
“Absolutely beautiful!” raves Crystal Tadlock (from Texas) in a comment posted on the Bright Nights Facebook page. “The best hot chocolate!” Estrella Tissera writes. Patrons also praise the volunteers and staff, and the relatively low cost of Bright Nights compared with other seasonal events.
5
Burn Fund
Donations at the front gate and a portion of ticket sales go to the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Since 1998, Bright Nights has helped raise $1.4 million to help burn survivors and their families.