MORRISBURG – Upper Canada Village’s Alight at Night is set to open for its 17th season December 1st with a new attraction, ‘Twinkletown Village’.
Set in the UCV fairground area, Twinkletown Village replaces the ferris wheel that has been a mainstay of that area for the past three seasons.
“You’ll enter through an air-filled igloo into the fairgrounds area,” said Susan LeClair – manager of corporate communications for the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. “From there you will see four different giant winter-themed inflatable play areas that look like snow sculptures.”
In the center of Twinkletown Village there will be a grove of trees with a warming area, all decorated for the season.
“Jancis [Sommerville] and her staff have done an amazing job with this area,” LeClair said.
Throughout the area there will be photo places for families, while music box-styled Christmas tunes are played.
“It will be a fun little area for everyone,” said LeClair.
Outside of Twinkletown Village, SLPC staff have decorated Upper Canada Village in over one million lights.
“The buildings may be the same, but every year the lights are just a little different,” said LeClair. “That is one of the great things about the event.”
Returning this season is St. Nick’s Merry Mansion, at Crysler Hall (until December 23rd), the train ride, wagon rides throughout the village and the horse drawn carriage rides (by reservation only).
The popular accessibility night has returned with an additional night added. Accessibility night enables visitors with reservations a guided tour of Alight at Night via a mobility van or small bus.
The December 6th night is already sold out, with reservations filling up for the December 5th night. Contact Upper Canada Village for reservations.
“It’s a great way to see the park for those with mobility issues,” LeClair said.
The record success of Pumpkinferno this year has not made any changes to this year’s Alight at Night event so far.
“The warm fall was one of the things that fed into the success of Pumpkinferno,” said LeClair. “It’s darker earlier now so our hours are longer. But it is a good idea to buy tickets ahead to avoid the lineups at the gate.”
Alight at Night will be open Thursday to Sunday starting December 1st between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. The event will be open nightly from December 19th to January 6th and only be closed on December 24th and 25th.
