It is being billed as the “world’s largest Christmas light maze.”
That is a rather difficult statistic to fact-check, but Enchant Christmas Light Maze & Market certainly does adopt the philosophy of go-big-or-go-home. Located at the edge of Vancouver’s Olympic Village, Enchant features a 55,000-square-foot light maze that takes wanderers into large icicle forests, past 23-foot-tall reindeer, and through showers of dangling snow—all brightly lit up, of course. There is a central tree, 64 feet tall, covered in more than 85,000 LED lights; it can be seen from down the street, like a beacon of holiday cheer.
Those looking for something a little more interactive can join in the game aspect of the maze, in which participants get their snowflake passports stamped at different stations. The goal, taking inspiration from a story by local author Leanne Johnston, is to find Santa’s lost reindeer. There is even a snow machine that spits out a flurry of flakes, so that Vancouverites don’t have to feel sad about not receiving that classic white Christmas.
Aside from the maze, Enchant also boasts an outdoor fire pit, live entertainment, food trucks (of course), and a tented bazaar with local crafts and treats—everything from Cannoli King and Cartems to wooden birds and jewellery. And there is a bar serving festive drinks including eggnog, mulled wine, and spiked coffee or hot chocolate.
It is a family-friendly affair, great for the little ones or for a cute date night (just be sure to watch where you’re going, or you may bump into someone taking a selfie). It is a bit gimmicky, certainly, but isn’t that the point? Enchant is about being cheerful, about making a memory, about doing something different. The over-the-topness of it all is what makes it fun.
Perhaps it was best put by a maintenance worker, who—strolling through the finished maze with a fellow employee and evidently harbouring some skepticism about the magic of the whole thing—said, “It’s actually pretty cool with all the lights on.”
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