Toronto Star

Enjoy some holiday cheer

Light-filled, family attraction in Niagara region.

- PAT BRENNAN Pat Brennan was a guest of Glow Niagara, which has not reviewed or approved this story.

NIAGARA FALLS— Most of us won’t get to sit on Santa’s lap this winter, which also means no conversati­ons with Rudolph and Donner and Blitzen as you await your turn to reveal your Christmas wish.

However, one of Santa’s elves has found a way for you to visit with larger-than-life reindeer.

The deer will be standing alongside Santa’s three-kilometre-long driveway, which meanders through an enchanted forest of lights leading to Santa’s huge sleigh full of presents — all in the comfort and safety of your family car.

The elf — sometimes known as Ryan Ward — usually sets up large Santa Claus festivals indoors in concert halls and convention centres across Canada, but the coronaviru­s also likes indoor events, so Santa opted for the great outdoors this year.

At least Santa gets to look out at a glittering display of more than a million lights this year when greeting his fans at a Niagara zoo closed for the winter.

There are also real deer at Safari Niagara — a100-hectare zoo with 1,000 domestic and exotic animals on the outskirts of this tourist town.

More than 1,000 vehicles visited Glow Niagara on a recent Friday night, but the rhinoceros, big cats, giraffes and monkeys remained in their winter quarters.

It takes about 40 minutes to drive the circuitous route to view the lights spread throughout the zoo grounds, accompanie­d by Christmas music delivered by FM radio.

Ward said it took his crew three weeks to hang the lights on trees and other structures at the zoo.

Many of the lighted forms came from Langley, B.C., where Glow Gardens started in a horticultu­re garden — it has since spread to other cities in Canada and the United States.

The Glow Garden was hosted last year by the 500,000square-foot Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke and included a shopping segment for Christmas gifts.

Ward said the show needed an outdoor location this year because of COVID-19.

Glow Niagara is at 2821 Stevensvil­le Rd., which is off interchang­e 16 on Queen Elizabeth Way in Niagara. Tickets are $30 per car — each vehicle can have up to seven occupants — and must be purchased online at glowgarden­s.com. Purchasers must pick a time to start their tour of the lights.

Ward said children are encouraged to take photograph­s of the light displays and send them into glowgarden­s.com to win prizes. Parents can also participat­e.

The display runs until Jan. 2. Canada’s largest outdoor light festival can also be found in Niagara Falls.

For the 38th year in a row, Ontario Power Generation has more than three million lights strung along the edge of the Niagara River in the heart of the city.

The festival includes the changing lights on Niagara’s two waterfalls and animated lighted structures on Dufferin Islands, a collection of small islands in a park setting on the Niagara Parkway just south of the Horseshoe Falls.

There’s no fee to see Niagara’s lights, which remain on display until Jan. 10, but traffic is heavy.

To see a list of spectacula­r outdoor Christmas Light displays throughout Ontario, go to todocanada.ca.

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 ??  ?? Christmas decoration­s are illuminate­d at Glow Niagara, above. At left, cars pass through a tunnel of lights at the attraction, which is an outdoor, car-only event this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christmas decoration­s are illuminate­d at Glow Niagara, above. At left, cars pass through a tunnel of lights at the attraction, which is an outdoor, car-only event this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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