Glow Ottawa - A Visit to Glow Gardens
/KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel. During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival. During the winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.
Christmas may be my favourite time of year. Between all the holiday traditions and of course, the cookies, what is there not to like.
This year, our family found a new way to celebrate the season. We visited Glow Gardens at the EY Centre.
Being the first year for Glow Gardens in Ottawa, I was not sure what to expect. We picked up our tickets and entered the hall. We were treated to a visual feast for the eyes. There were sparkling lights everywhere.
The first thing we saw was an illuminated moose. Being from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, I needed to have my photo taken with the moose. My son, David and wife, Sandy also got a snapshot.
Glow Gardens features much more than just life-sized creatures of the Canadian forest. The main premise of Glow Gardens is a visit to six different countries, China, India, France, Netherlands, Mexico and the United Kingdom. There are amazing light exhibits themed around each country. For instance, there is a spectacular Taj Mahal for India and a windmill for the Netherlands. Everyone is also given a passport where they can collect stamps from each country. Collect all six stamps and there is a prize at the end.
With passports in hand, China was our first stop. David wanted to have his photo taken next to the traditional Chinese architectural arch. Equally important was to get our first passport stamp.
Over the course of the next several hours, we were able to visit all six countries and collected all the stamps. The light displays for each country were truly memorable. My personal favourite was the windmill from the Netherlands while Sandy loved the pinãta from Mexico.
Besides the various country displays, Glow Gardens has many interactive light displays perfect for any Instagrammer. We explored the hanging light gardens and got a family photo in the oversized letter o saying JOY.
Being so close to Christmas, you would expect there to be displays based around Christmas. Glow Gardens did not disappoint. There was a huge snowman that David could fit inside. There was also a huge Christmas tree made out of gifts.
Now that David is eleven, his interests are certainly different than when he was four. The papa in me still has an eye on what there is for young kids to do at an event. There were plenty of activities geared towards young kids at Glow Gardens. There was a huge playground with slides, a small train (that actually ran on time and worked!), LED swings and hopscotch, and a chance to visit Santa.
Adults were well-served as well. There was a licensed area where you could purchase adult beverages. My favourite was the glow in the dark light bulbs that also doubled as beverage glasses. We purchased three non-alcoholic cranberry mocktails. Food could also be purchased on-site.
The day we visited Glow Gardens, your ticket gave you access to the Originals Christmas Craft show. Craft shows are normally not my thing but I have a new respect and appreciation after visiting. There were vendors selling a wide assortment of handmade crafts and products. David and I loved all the free food samples. Some were so tasty that we purchased the product.
Soon enough, it was time to head back home to do our own Christmas decorating. I could see Glow Gardens becoming a part of our annual Christmas traditions just like those cookies.
Glow Gardens will be running at the EY Centre until January 4th. I have a feeling this will be a very popular event in Ottawa so it may be wise to purchase tickets online, in advance. Also, check their website for exact hours. For all information visit, www.glowgardens.com
Full disclosure, we received free tickets but all views are my own.
