With over a million lights along a nearly two-kilometre stretch and a portion of proceeds going to the United Way, the inaugural Magic of Lights event is expecting high demand for its drive-thru holiday event at Longwoods Road Conservation Area.
The roughly 25-minute drive-thru experience at the conservation area in Mount Brydges, Ont., southwest of London, opens to the public on Friday, Nov. 19.
Kyla Woodcock of Woodlo Productions, which partnered with Funguys Events out of Ohio to put on the event, said crews started building the light installations in the park in mid-October and spent Thursday putting on finishing touches.
“We have used over a million LED lights with some beautiful displays to transform the Longwoods Road Conservation Area into a winter wonderland,” she said.
“The Funguys design the light installations and then they install them wherever the local production company chooses to host the event. We’re thrilled that our partners at the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority have opened the gates for us at Longwood Roads Conservation Area.”
As for the fundraising aspect of the event, Woodcock told Global News the idea dates back to when she chaired the fundraising campaign for United Way in 2018.
“I realized I really wanted to bring a big community event that would gift a portion of the proceeds from the event to United Way Elgin Middlesex, and make that a recurring traditional part of their annual fundraising campaign,” she said.
“The United Way campaign kicked off in late September. It’s still running now. It runs until March, till the spring of next year, so the Magic of Lights is perfectly timed at the holiday season to be able to give back to our community.”
The event runs until Jan. 2, 2022, with tickets, per carload not per person, available online.
Woodcock says tickets can be purchased for specific days, with vehicles then able to attend any time after 5:30 p.m. until the show closes at 10 p.m. for the date their ticket is for.
“Avoid disappointment. There will be tickets available at the gates on nights when there’s room, when there’s capacity, but we’re expecting sellout for most of December.“
Meanwhile, a well-established tradition of lights continues in Victoria Park next weekend with the Lighting of the Lights.
The City of London is inviting Londoners to view the moment the switch is flipped on over 75,000 lights in Victoria Park. The event gets underway at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26, with live entertainment. The countdown to turning on the lights goes at 6:50 p.m.
“Victoria Park’s Lighting of the Lights is a longstanding tradition in London’s celebration of the holiday season and one I’m personally excited to bring back to our community,” Mayor Ed Holder said in a statement.
“This time last year, we were asking everyone to stay home and physically apart. While there are still COVID-19 precautions in place for Lighting of the Lights, I invite everyone to come out and join the festivities safely.”
The Santa House will also run this holiday season through appointments will be required to visit. More information can be found on TLC Foundation’s website.