Presented by the CNE, this magical winter wonderland veers towards the Disney-esque with four unique worlds to explore. There’s so much on offer at the Aurora Winter Festival, it’s guaranteed to get any scrooge into the holiday spirit.
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READ: 10 Things You Should Know About Canada’s Wonderland WinterFest
1.
You might not be able to hit all the sights with a single visit, but starting off with the Arctic Retreat world is a good place to begin. It features a digital dome, giant polar bears, and a ‘yeti cave’ where Yin, a friendly giant is said to roam. Beware – you might be seduced to dance alongside Yin of the Yeti Cave who is a well-known disco fan.
2.
Kids will adore the colourful Candy Cane Lane quarter. It features a giant gingerbread hut, oversized lollypops, cup cakes and all things candy. There’s also a candy shack where you can stock up on Christmas-themed sweets and snag some Aurora-coloured cotton candy.
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The Luminous Gardens wraps around a fairy-tale-like palace ensconced in lights with a unique ice throne – perfect for photo ops. You might also see a few characters such as Thyra, Queen of the Ice Elves, and Rivera (an ice elf) there!
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The Whimsical Forest provides a little mystery with Fairy Hollow and Gnome Village – but it’s also home to a family of moose and some sly foxes.
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Bring your wishlist, cause Santa and his elves make regular appearances. A letter-writing station is set up in the craft tent with a mailbox that delivers your letters straight to Santa.
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There’s an app for that! Yes – the Aurora has developed its own interactive venue app which highlights when and when story time with Santa is and other scheduled events.
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Any child at heart will love the tube slide park, ferris wheel, carousel or sea ray ride – all outfitted with Christmas lights. For the smaller kids, there are still the classic CNE rides like the berry and bumble bee rides.
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For those with a competitive streak, the hoops games, balloon darts, and bowler roller will also be open.
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There are more than 25 vendors for some late night shopping for some Oktoberfest beer nuts or Knitting Legend apparel.
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A frozen pond sits at the heart of the festival with huge light decorations for the whole family to enjoy. Skates can be rented out for $7 each – or bring your own.
It’s the holiday sensory overload that only a CNE-presented event can deliver! Make sure to bring change for the churros.
