Winter Wonderland 2012 in LEGO at VanDusen Gardens Festival of Lights

We’re proud to announce that the Vancouver Lego Club has been invited to participate in VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights from December 7th to January 1st.  More specifically, we’ve been asked to create a Winter Wonderland Lego display to help them support and raise money for the Make-A-Wish® BC & Yukon in their Room of Joy.

For those of you concerned about braving the elements, our Winter Wonderland Lego display will be indoors in the main building off the atrium.

HINT: Avoid the line-up and purchase advance tickets through Tickets Tonight 604.684.2787 (service charge applies) or in person at the Admissions Desk in the Visitor Centre (no service charge) as of November 1.

Festival of Lights

Festival of Lights has become a must-do seasonal tradition for people of all ages and backgrounds – from families to dating couples, from grandparents to toddlers. Once inside the gate, guests don’t want to leave as they find them selves amidst a magical wonderland of twinkling lights, joyful music and the glowing smiles of happy people. “Everyone is jolly, not just Santa,” says long-time volunteer Lynne Irwin. This year’s Festival of Lights runs every night from December 7 – January 1, 4:30 – 9 p.m., except December 25th when the Garden is closed.

The centre piece of Festival of Lights is the enthralling Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake. Every half hour on the half hour, the show bursts to life with thousands of lights on Lake Walk and The Southern Hemisphere Peninsula programmed to ‘dance’ to seasonal music. The show offers two alternating seven-minute sets, a different set each half hour.

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Kids will love to meet Santa Claus in his Living Room (Dec.7-24) and don’t be surprised if you are accosted by our genial (and very jolly) Scandinavian Christmas Gnomes – Svend and Jens who have been stealing hearts and inspiring gleeful laughter since their arrival at Festival of Lights six years ago. You’ll find them wandering about the Centre Court, Entrance Plaza and at their Gnome Home.

A highlight every year is the ethereal Make-A-Wish® Candle Grotto. New this year is Make-A-Wish®’s Room of Joy. Located in the Visitor Centre’s Discovery Room, the Room of Joy will feature a magical Winter Wonderland display created by the Vancouver Lego Club.

From Dec.7th – 21st, you’ll be serenaded by our popular Community Choir Concerts from their location on the Entrance Plaza overlooking Livingstone Lake. Other highlights include the enchanting Gingerbread Wood, the fun and interactive Sparkling Spruce, and Lovers’ Lookout.

Come hungry as there’s plenty to eat: Dr. Waffle will be serving up savoury and sweet waffles in the Perennial Garden (near the Make-A-Wish® Candle Grotto). Shaughnessy Restaurant, in addition to their full-service restaurant, will be operating two snack bars – one on the covered deck adjacent to Santa’s Living Room and the other next to the Gnome Home. Truffles Café, will be operating three outdoor kiosks (a hot chocolate stand and a soup bar on the Entrance Plaza plus a BBQ Hut by Gingerbread Wood) in addition to offering hot drinks and warm snacks at the entrance to the Visitor Centre for those waiting to buy tickets. Of course Truffles Café inside the Visitor Centre will also be open for more substantial fare.

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When asked our members were overwhelmingly enthusiastic to support both causes.   One member in particular has a niece who benefited from the Make-A-Wish® BC & Yukon when she had recovered from cancer at the age of 5 and she and her family got to go to Walt Disney World after all her treatments.

So please come on out and check out the Festival of Lights along with our Winter Wonderland Lego display and please remember to give generously to the Make-A-Wish® BC & Yukon.

**Please note the Lego photos shown are not from the 2012 display, but from 2008.  Expect to see a new and improved ski hill, and many other Lego building creations from the creative minds of our members.

VanDusen Botanical Garden logo           

Advance tickets are on sale starting November 1st at Tickets Tonight at 604-684-2787 / www.ticketstonight.ca (service charge applies) or you can pick them up in person at the Garden’s Admission Desk (no service charge) during opening hours. Tickets are also available at the Gate every evening. To avoid the nightly ticket line-up, we strongly advise you to purchase tickets in advance as advance ticket holders walk right in. VanDusen Members also do not have to stand in line.

Special prices are in effect:

  • Adult (19-65): $14.25
  • Senior (65+): $10.50
  • Youth (13-18):$10.50
  • Child (3-12): $7.75
  • Children under age 3 are free
  • Family (2 adults + 2 children age 18 and under): $32.50

Festival of Lights runs every evening (except for Christmas Day, December 25th when the Garden is closed) from Friday, December 7th through January 1st, 4:30 to 9 p.m. In the case of heavy snow storms or other extraordinary weather conditions: please call the Admissions Desk 604-257-8463 to confirm that FOL has not been closed for that one evening.

VanDusen Botanical Garden is located at the corner of Oak Street and W.37th Avenue in Vancouver. Visit our Festival of Lights page for more details, videos and photos.

VanDusen wishes to thank Event Sponsor Western One Rentals & Sales and Media Sponsors, Ming Pao Newspapers (Canada Ltd.), and The Vancouver Courier for their generous support.

For more information on VanDusen Botanical Garden and its events visit VanDusen’s web site.

View previous Festival of Lights images on flickr

 

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