Wildlights is back for its 25th season at the BC Wildlife Park

KAMLOOPS — On Friday, the BC Wildlife Park will kick off the 2022 season of Wildlights — the 25th edition of the celebration of festive lights at the park.

The event begins this Friday, December 9 and will run every night except Christmas until January 2.

According to park executive director Glenn Grant, folks can expect many of the same highlights they’ve come to expect over the years from Wildlights. This year they’ve hit a noteworthy milestone.

“We’ll have many old staples that have been there forever. A lot of the rope light scenes are all up, there are more trees decorated, the tunnel of lights on the back road is all up and ready to go,” Grant explains.

“This year, there will be more than a million lights. We’ve always been trying to get to that spot, and this year, we will have a million lights.”

The park lights up nightly at 4:00 pm and will feature a special Winter Wonderland area in the Eco Gallery, where families might get a glimpse of the big man in red and white.

There will be entertainment, the family farm area will be open, and there will propane fires to help families stay warm. This year, the park has partnered with the Canucks Autism Network for opening night to ensure that people with sensory issues can enjoy Wildlights.

“Our opening night will be a sensory-friendly night, so there won’t be any music — there will generally be music every night — we won’t have any loud music, and none of the lights will be flashing. There will be sensory kits for kids who want to get their minds off stuff, or quiet areas if they just want to sit and relax. We want to make sure we’re very inclusive, that anybody that wants to come to Wildlights can come and have a great experience.”

Tickets are available at the park, or you can buy them online and avoid the lineups. Visit www.bcwildlifepark.org for more information.