‘BEAM ME UP’ TAKES ON A NEW MEANING 

‘Beam me up Scotty’ often meant that Kirk and Spock needed to escape… and fast. However, once a year, at VanDusenBotanical Garden, it’s more a case of ‘beam me down’ … and, once here, you don’t want to leave. Upon arrival you’ll find yourself in the midst of more than a million beams of twinkling lights, sipping steaming hot chocolate and surrounded by beaming, happy people. Yes, you’ve been transported to an alternate reality; you’re at VanDusenBotanical Garden’s Festival of Lights – a must-experience holiday tradition. Opening December 9^th, Festival of Lights runs every night (except for Dec.25^th) from 4:30 – 9 p.m. through January 2^nd.

This year, instead of entering off the parking lot gates, guests will enter through the Garden’s newly-opened, state-of-the-art ‘LivingBuilding’ Visitor Centre. The new entrance will add a whole new ‘dimension’ to the guest experience.

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

Kids will love to meet Santa Claus in his Living Room (Dec.9-24). When Santa goes on his post-Christmas break, he’s replaced by popular magician David Wilson (Dec.26 – Jan.2).  Don’t be surprised if you are accosted by our genial ‘aliens’ – Svend and Jens, the two mischievous

Scandinavian Christmas Gnomes. Svend and Jens have been stealing hearts and inspiring gleeful laughter since their arrival at Festival of Lights five years ago. You’ll find them hanging out in the

Centre Court area adjacent to Santa’s Living Room.

From Dec.9 – 21^st, you’ll be serenaded by our popular Community Choir Concerts which have been relocated to the new Plaza overlooking Livingstone Lake. Other highlights include the ‘other-worldly’ Gingerbread Wood, the fun and interactive Sparkling Spruce ethereal Golden Chain Walk, Make-A-Wish Candle Shrine and Lovers’ Lookout.

Come hungry as there’s plenty to eat: Dr. Waffle will be serving up savoury and sweet waffles along with home-made soups, Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen next to Santa’s Living Room, Shaughnessy Restaurant, Truffles Café, Dr. Waffles’ Gourmet Hot Chocolate Bar (try the trio flight), Whistler Wood-Fired Pizza and the ever-popular Mr. Doughnut mini-donuts.

Advance tickets are on sale starting November 1^st at Tickets Tonight at 604-684-2787 / www.ticketstonight.ca (service charge applies) or you can pick them up in person at the Garden Shop (no service charge) or Garden Administration Office. Tickets are also available at the Gate every evening.

Special prices are in effect:

• Adult (19-65): $13.50
• Senior (65+): $10
• Youth (13-18):$10
• Child (3-12): $7.50
• Children under age 3 are free
• Family (2 adults + 2 children age 18 and under): $31

Festival of Lights runs every evening (except for Christmas Day, December 25^th when the Garden is closed) from Friday, December 9^th through January 2^nd, 4:30 to 9 p.m. In the case of heavy snow storms or other extraordinary weather conditions: please call the Garden Shop 604-257-8665 to confirm that FOL has not been closed for that one evening.

VanDusenBotanical Gardenis located at the corner of Oak Streetand W.37^th Avenue in Vancouver. Visit our Festival of Lights page for more details, videos and photos VanDusen wishes to thank Event Sponsors Blenz Coffee , Western One Rentals and 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

You are never too young, or too old, to enjoy a magical ‘Date Night.’  Date Nights come in a wide assortment: quality-time-with-the-kids date, romantic hand-holding and smooching-under-the- mistletoe-dates, play dates with the grandchildren, celebrate-an-occasion dates and the ever-popular, night-out-with-the-gang dates. There are as many good ‘excuses’ to get out for a Date Night as there are people who want to go. In December, one of the very best Date Night ‘excuses’ is VanDusen Botanical Garden’s annual Festival of Lights. Opening Friday, December 10th and running through to Sunday, January 2nd, Festival of Lights is open every evening (except December 25th when the Garden is closed) from 4:30 to 9 p.m.

The centrepiece of Festival of Lights is the captivating Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake. Every half hour on the half hour, the show features thousands of lights on Lake Walk and Lake Peninsula programmed to dance, change colour, flicker, twirl and twinkle in harmony with recorded music. This year the Dancing Lights offers two different seven-minute interpretations of seasonal music composed and arranged by local composer Gordon Cobb. One musical set is styled in a more traditional vein with Celtic influences while the other will appeal to those who enjoy their music with a house beat. “This is a first for us,” says Garden Director Harry Jongerden, “we are thrilled to be working with a composer to create and record original music specifically for Festival of Lights.”  The sets alternate so that there is a different Dancing Lights every half hour. To see more videos of previous Dancing Lights click here.

Live music is also very much a part of Festival of Lights and VanDusen is once again pleased to present its Community Choir Concerts on the Deck overlooking the Centre Court. Choirs perform nightly December 10th through 21st at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. While enjoying the choirs, don’t be surprised if you run into Svend and Jens, our two mischievous Scandinavian Christmas Gnomes. Svend and Jens have been stealing hearts and inspiring gleeful laughter since their arrival at Festival of Lights four years ago. You’ll find them hanging out in the Centre Court area adjacent to Santa’s Living Room.

Speaking of the ‘jolly old elf,’ every night, December 10th through 24th, Santa Claus himself can be found in his Living Room every evening  starting at 5:30 pm for 30 minutes on the half hour (e.g. 5:30 – 6 p.m. 6:30 – 7 p.m., 7:30 – 8 p.m., 8:30 – 9 p.m.). From December 26th through January 3rd Magician David Wilson takes over from Santa, amazing audiences with his feats of close-up magic. There are four 30-minute shows every evening following the same schedule as Santa.          

Last year Festival of Lights introduced the Sparkling Spruce, a 45 foot Serbian Spruce (picea omorika) located on the edge of the Centre Court. It was such a hit, we’ve brought it back. Sit in the sleigh and work the controls to design your own light show with the tree as your canvas – a DIY mini version of the Dancing Lights.  Smaller interactive elements will also be scattered through this year’s show – so let your inner child loose and don’t be afraid to pull the knob or twirl the dial. Speaking of your inner-child, children of all ages love exploring the meandering path through the Gingerbread Wood to the festive Gingerbread House – especially if you are nibbling on a decadent waffle from Dr. Waffle.

Food is always an important part of Festival of Lights.  Back this year is the ever popular Dr. Waffle. Dr. Waffle has the right prescriptions to cure your hunger pangs and will be dispensing his special brand of medicine from his signature kiosk located near the Dancing Lights at the entrance to Gingerbread Wood. For those interested in something more substantial, Shaughnessy Restaurant is open for lunch, afternoon tea and regular dinner service. Reservations are a must and can be made by calling 604.261.0011. Shaughnessy also operates Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen next to Santa’s Living Room. While on your way over to the Candle Shrine, stop by Mr. Doughnut for a bag of hot, freshly-made, and very addictive, mini-doughnuts. Mr. Doughnut is situated on the pathway leading from Golden Chain Walk to the Candle Shrine at the entrance to the Perennial Garden.

Just past the Perennial Garden, you’ll find the Candle Shrine tucked away in the Heather Garden’s stone hut. For a small donation, visitors can light a candle and make a wish. Proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of BC and Yukon. Make-A-Wish strives to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Dozens of candles glowing in the dark makes a truly beautiful and moving sight, not to mention all the good wishes they represent. For more information on the Foundation, we invite you to visit its web site at: www.makeawishbc.ca  This year marks the 10th year that Make-A-Wish Foundation has been part of Festival of Lights. The Garden is proud to support this very worthwhile organization.

Festival of Lights runs every evening (except for Christmas Day, December 25th) from Friday, December 10th through January 2nd, 4:30 to 9 p.m. The Garden is located at 5251 Oak Street at West 37th Avenue in Vancouver. In the case of heavy snow storms or other extraordinary weather conditions: please call the Garden Shop 604-257-8665 to confirm that FOL has not been closed for that one evening.

Special prices (all include HST) are in effect for this event. Adults – $13, Seniors (65+) & Youth (13-18) – $9.50, Children (6-12) – $7.25, Family (2 adults + 2 children under 19) – $29.75. Children under age 6 are free. Advance tickets are on sale now at  Tickets Tonight at 604-684-2787 / www.ticketstonight.ca  (service charge applies) or you can pick them up in person at the Garden Shop (no service charge) or Garden Administration Office. Tickets are also available at the Gate every evening. Special perk for advance ticket holders – stroll right past the line-ups and enter through your own special gate.

VanDusen wishes to thank Event Sponsors Blenz Coffee, Western One Rentals and Sales, Vivid Lighting Solutions and media sponsor, The Vancouver Courier for their generous support.

For more information on VanDusen Botanical Garden and its events, visit www.vandusengarden.org

It turns out that each hive, containing between 35,000 to 50,000 bees, produces an average of 60 pounds of honey per year.  Of the total production, 20 to 40 pounds is surplus to the needs of the hive and can be harvested, which is what VanDusen does each year when it puts the bees to bed in the autumn. The hives are winterized and the last honey combs are removed and replaced with special syrup which feeds the bees until the coming of spring when they once again start to produce garden gold.

From the bees’ perspective, the Garden is a paradise containing flowers from every corner of the globe and the honey’s complex character reflects this.  VanDusen Garden Honey is organic, pure, un-pasteurized and golden in colour with a flavour redolent of sun and flowers. 

Priced at $8.99 per 250 ml bottle, this artisan honey is available exclusively in VanDusen’s Garden Shop. Proceeds from the sale of VanDusen Honey help the Garden to grow.

You can’t ask for a sweeter deal than that – you enjoy the honey while supporting the Garden, a registered non-profit charity.

At this time of year it’s dark, cold and damp. Some of us get up in the dark and come home in the dark. Our energy sags, we feel like cocooning and dreams of sunlit beaches dance in our heads. The medical profession calls it S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and prescribes special ‘light treatments’ to counter-act the seasonal blues.VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights is the best treatment we can think of to combat the winter blahs. With 1.4 million dazzling lights it has proven effective in upping the fun quotient for extended families with multiple generations, dating couples as well as friends looking for something to do together. Running December 11th through January 3rd from 4:30 to 9 pm every night (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 features thousands of lights on Lake Walk and Lake Peninsula programmed to dance, change colour, flicker, twirl and twinkle in harmony with recorded music. This year the Dancing Lights offers two different seven-minute interpretations of seasonal music – one will be in a more traditional classic style, while the other will bring to mind the jazzy interpretations of the big band era and the Rat Pack. The shows alternate so that there is a different Dancing Lights every half hour. In addition to watching the show from Lake Walk, you might want to watch it from the higher vantage point of Candy Cane Lane on the ridge overlooking Lake Walk and Livingstone Lake. To see the Dancing Lights in action: http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/vandusen/website/events/fol.htm

Over in the Centre Court don’t be surprised if you run into, or more likely, are accosted by, Svend and Jens, our two mischievous Scandinavian Nisse or Christmas Gnomes. Famed as tricksters, it was the Nisse who delivered gifts to children in the Scandinavian countries prior to the advent of Santa Claus. Svend and Jens have been stealing hearts and inspiring gleeful laughter since their arrival at Festival of Lights three years ago. You’ll find them hanging out in the Centre Court area at the Gnome Home Under the Dome adjacent to Santa’s Living Room.

Speaking of the ‘jolly old elf,’ every night December 11th through 24th, Santa Claus himself can be found in his Living Room every evening  starting at 5:30 pm for 30 minutes on the half hour (e.g. 5:30 – 6 p.m. 6:30 – 7 p.m., 7:30 – 8 p.m., 8:30 – 9 p.m.). From December 26th through January 3rd Fanny Starchild Puppet Theatre takes over from Santa bringing to life the story of The Magic Garden. Puppet shows have long been a part of European Christmases entertaining young and old alike. There are four 30-minute shows every evening from at the bottom of the hour:  5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

New this year is the Festival’s Sparkling Spruce, a 45 foot Serbian Spruce (picea omorika) located on the edge of the Centre Court. Sit in the sleigh and work the controls to design your own light show with the tree as your canvas – sort of a make-your-own mini version of the Dancing Lights.

On the north side of Livingstone Lake and adjacent to the Dancing Lights, a meandering path leads you through the Gingerbread Wood to a classic gingerbread house bedecked in sweets and surrounded by a lollipop garden. Along the way, look for ‘de-lightful’ surprises in and under the trees. You might even catch a glimpse of gingerbread children playing in the Wood.

Live music is very much a part of the holiday season and VanDusen is once again pleased to present its Community Choir Concerts on the Deck. Join us nightly at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. December 11th through 24th to hear glorious music performed by choirs from all over the Lower Mainland.

Tucked away in the Heather Garden is the Make-A-Wish Candle Shrine. For a small donation, visitors are encouraged to light a candle and make a wish. Proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of BC and Yukon.  Make-A-Wish strives to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Dozens of candles glowing in the dark is a truly beautiful sight. For more information on the Foundation, we invite you to visit their web site at:  www.makeawish.bc.ca

Food is always an important part of Festival of Lights. We are pleased to welcome back Dr. Waffle. Dr. Waffle has the right prescriptions to cure your hunger pangs. He will be dispensing his special brand of medicine from his signature kiosk located near the Dancing Lights. You might find a cure for what ails you with a yummy gingerbread waffle or stave off an impending cold with a steaming cup of Thomas Haas Hot Chocolate or mulled apple cider made form organic apples. In the same area you’ll also find the Hot Potato Peddler offering hot, roasted potatoes with a variety if tasty toppings.

For those interested in something more substantial, Shaughnessy Restaurant is open for lunch, afternoon tea and regular dinner service. Reservations are a must and can be made by calling 604.261.0011. Shaughnessy will also operate Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen next to Santa’s Living Room as well as serving seasonal goodies from their kiosk located on Shaughnessy’s back deck.

Festival of Lights runs from Friday, December 11th through January 3rd, 4:30 to 9 p.m. except for Christmas Day (December 25th) when the Garden is closed.  The Garden is located at 5251 Oak Street at West 37th Avenue.

Avoid the line-up and purchase your tickets in advance through Tickets Tonight at 604-684-2787 / www.ticketstonight.ca (service charge applies) or you can pick them up in person at the Garden Shop (no service charge) or Garden Administration Office. Tickets will also be available at the Gate every evening. All funds raised go to help VanDusen grow. VanDusen Botanical Garden is a registered non-profit charity. For more information on VanDusen Botanical Garden and its events, visit www.vandusengarden.org Prices: Adults – $11.45, Seniors (65+) & Youth (13-18) – $8.30, Children (6-12) – $6.25, Family (2 adults + 2 children under 19) – $26. Children under age 6 are free.

Be sure not to miss this year’s Festival of Lights at vanDusen Botanical Garden – you’ll be sure to have a ‘de-light-full’ time. Festival of Lights is the major event/fundraiser for VanDusen Botanical Garden. Funds raised from the event help the Garden to grow. For more information on VanDusen Botanical Garden, its collections, events and programs, please visit www.vandusengarden.org

VanDusen wishes to thank Event Sponsors Blenz Coffee, Western One Rentals and Sales, Vivid Lighting Solutions and media sponsor, The Vancouver Courier for their generous support.

VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5251 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1  Info: 604.878.9274

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