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john kloster
Holiday Festivals in Canada
Canada Niagara Falls gushes with yuletide razzle-dazzle
Seasonal delights enchant groups in popular tourist destinations
18/ 03/ 20 10
he holiday season is a great time to visit new destinations or to revisit ones you’ve already experienced as they offer a unique holiday appearance and seasonal festivities. Let’s explore some of Canada’s unique lures for the upcoming holidays.
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NIAGARA FALLS The Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls is quite a production. Last year it drew one million visitors and 1,000 motorcoaches to the city. The focus is a 3½-mile stretch of the Niagara Parkway that is seasonally known as Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland. It features three million tree and ground lights and over 120 lighted displays, including 20 Enchantment of Disney displays and the world’s largest illuminated Canadian-American flag. In addition, there are lighted displays of animals on Dufferin Islands and other themes throughout the city. The Lundy’s Lane area becomes Candy Cane Lane with candy cane displays and lampposts. The festival (Nov. 6-Jan. 3) also offers weekly fireworks, concerts and special events. The falls are lit nightly. (wfol.com) EDMONTON Fort Edmonton Park, a reconstruction of a Hudson’s Bay fur-trading fort, is now the largest interactive historical park in North America. It is located on 150 acres of city park land in Edmon96 June 2010
ton’s river valley. Each December the park stages Christmas Reflections, an evening program that offers a horsedrawn ride through the park to view Christmas displays and lights followed by a cup of cider or hot chocolate. Costumed interpreters organize carol singing, craft making and baking in the wood stove. This year’s dates are Dec. 5, 10, 11, 12 and 16-23. (fortedmontonpark.ca) SASKATOON Saskatoon’s Enchanted Forest has grown over 12 years to become Saskatchewan’s top winter tourist attraction, drawing 60,000 visitors. Over 60 lighted displays are set against towering evergreen trees along a 1½-mile drive through Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park. Featured displays include Noah’s Ark with over 30 animals and a depiction of each of the elements of the 12 days of Christmas. The exhibition will run Nov. 19-Jan. 9. (enchanted-forest.org) LGT LeisureGroupTravel.com