Annual Bright Nights returns to sparkle through Stanley Park

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      With a few finishing touches from Santa’s elves, the popular holiday tradition is back and ready to enchant and dazzle guests with a brilliant display of lights.

      The 18th annual Bright Nights in Stanley Park opens this Thursday (November 26) and runs through January 2, 2016 (closed on Christmas Day).

      This year’s event features over 3 million lights, put together by more than 800 fire fighters who contributed over 8,000 hours during the course of three months.

      Back on Remembrance Day, the Grinch who stole equipment from the event threatened to delay the opening of the attraction.

      But a cash donation from a local fireplace manufacturer, Valor Fireplaces, helped keep the holiday event back on track.

      Bright Nights is put together by the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund and the Vancouver Park Board. Admission is by donation, with the money raised at the front gate going directly to the Burn Fund, which provides life-saving, life-supporting, and life-enriching services to the people in B.C.

      “We estimate about 200,000 people [attend the event] and it has been that way for a couple years now,” said Ray Boucher, vice-president of the British Columbia Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund in an interview with the Straight. “We’re hoping for maybe more and it is quite a crowd if you come down here.”

      The theme for the sparkling display of lights this year is nutcrackers. “We’ve purchased a number of nutcrackers, so we’ve got them all the way from 12 feet high down to 3 feet high,” added Boucher.

      In addition to gazing at the magical lights and taking a ride on the Bright Nights train, visitors can enjoy music, sweet treats, music, and entertainment, as well as meeting Santa Claus himself.

      Advance Tickets for train rides can be bought online or at the on-site Miniature Railway Box Office in Stanley Park. 

      Take a look at our gallery above for a preview of the anticipated attraction.

      Follow Tammy Kwan on Twitter @ch0c0tam.

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