The third and final outdoor lights display I went to was the Festival of Lights at the VanDusen Botanical Garden. I went with my friends Miranda and Rachael! Rachy is a very busy bee with her work and studying, so it isn’t very often she’s able to join us on fun little adventures. Miranda and I were both thrilled that she was able to come with us that evening; it made the experience all the more fun!
This display wasn’t free to enter, but if you purchased tickets ahead of time it only cost $19.00. As soon as we walked through the gates of the gardens, we knew that it was $19.00 well spent.
There was music playing throughout the gardens; some beautiful arrangements of classic Christmas Carols sang by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Miranda and I were glad we saved the Botanical Garden for last; we had very much enjoyed the other displays, but this place was the mother of all Christmas lights. It was GLORIOUS and very impressive.
Miranda and me When we passed this statue, we all had to take a second look before we realized they weren’t real people! This statue amidst all of the beautiful lights was a good reminder that Christmas isn’t only about the glitz and glam of the season, but more about helping those less fortunate and having the spirit of giving.‘Tis a truth universally acknowledged, that Rachael hugs are the best hugs!Mistletoe anyone? This is so nerdy of me..but does this remind anyone else of the White Tree of Gondor?!
Rachael had some fun taking picture of Miranda and me.
The lights made everything seem so magical. We had a great time exploring the different areas and joking around!
More mistletoe!I started to get more creative with my poses. Am I channeling Michael Jackson here?
We joked around and were laughing the entire night!
We arrived at 8:30 pm and had an hour before closing. We were able to see mostly everything, and I didn’t feel rushed, however next year I would give myself more time to explore. We missed the garden maze, and I saw pictures of it on instagram later … my one regret of the night is that we didn’t see that maze!
I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating this season, and if you get a chance, hit up the VanDusen Garden’s Festival of Lights!
I grew up in a small town nestled between the Canadian prairies and the Rocky Mountains. I was born into a large family and raised in the LDS (Mormon) church. I did the whole church thing and was very devout until my early twenties. I was married at the young age of 18, and after 5 years of a tumultuous marriage I called it quits. Through my experiences of leaving the church, while going through the wild ride that is an unhealthy relationship and then a shitty divorce, I got to know myself on a deep level which brought so much colour and clarity into my life. I try my best to live in the moment, take lots of pictures, and keep memories alive. This blog started as a place to record two of my passions, writing and hiking, so I called it "maraoutside" (it sounded kind of hip and it worked 🤷). Now the idea of "maraoutside" has slowly morphed into an idea of me putting myself "out there" and exploring what life is, whether it is an outdoor activity or not. So if you are looking for consistency in topic or timing, you're in the wrong place, but you are welcome to follow along if you want to! Welcome to my place.
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