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Ladysmith Lights Up for the Holidays
One of my favourite parts of the holiday season is walking around town and seeing the light displays. Some people dont get into it very much -- placing a few here, a few there -- but others spend hours, days even, wrapping everything they own in strings of brilliantly shining bulbs.
Sometimes whole streets will set up a theme and each house will be decorated to the hilt. Reindeer, candy canes and icicles all light up at the flick of a switch. Some of them are even accompanied by music.
On Vancouver Island, one of the best places to see an entire downtown street lit is the Ladysmith Festival of Lights.
From the last Thursday in November to the first Sunday in January, businesses, lamp poles and nearly all the foliage lining the street are covered with more than 100,000 lights. The power goes on at 4:30pm each day and illuminates the scene until late. Stroll by one of the coffee shops in town, grab a hot mint hot chocolate to go, and try to count all the light bulbs.
If you dont mind the crowds, the first day they flick the power on is the best time to go. On Light Up Night, the streets are packed as Ladysmith's population doubles and spectators from all over Vancouver Island come to see the parade. You won't recognize all the trucks, cars and floats of various sizes and descriptions as they're covered bumper to bumper with even more lights. Even the hydro trucks, with its huge hydraulic arm and bucket, is wrapped with lights like a tall, skinny Christmas tree.
Dont forget to bring warm layers of clothes to wander the brightly lit streets, as temperatures can dip into the negatives.
To get to Ladysmith, drive north from Victoria or south from Nanaimo on the Island Highway. Take any of the exits into the town of Ladysmith from the highway and find a place to park near the main street. If you'd rather stay in the warm comfort of your vehicle, you also get a great view driving down the main street. Those mint hot chocolates taste just as good sitting in your car as they do on foot.
- Photos & text by Ross Collicutt©
