For this year's holiday activity, I went to the first annual 'WinterFest', created and hosted at Canada's Wonderland in the hopes that the popular amusement park would become more of an all-year destination for fun. The Aurora Winter Festival experience last year was disappointing, and I was hoping that WinterFest could help to fulfill my lack of holiday cheer.
WinterFest is open Friday-Sunday until December 31. I paid $22 plus tax for an admission ticket online (but your admission is free if you already own a Wonderland season pass). Admission is more expensive at the gate, so it is best if you purchase your ticket online. The cost of parking at Wonderland is also $22 plus tax. If you also factor in the cost of food, drinks, and trinkets/souvenirs (at typical expensive amusement park prices), then the costs of going to WinterFest can be significant. With all these potential incurred costs, it begs the question: Is WinterFest worth the trip?
The simple answer is yes. WinterFest is the one holiday festival in the Greater Toronto Area that you should experience if you had to choose only one.
As soon as you walk through the admission gate, a scene straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie blesses your sight. Hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights adorn every tree and building. In the middle of the square is a big skating rink where happy people are skating their cares away, while Christmas music is blaring from the speakers. In the distance, there are lights cascading down the mountain, simulating a waterfall. The whole scene looked and felt so beautiful and picturesque that I had the feeling that Christmas has truly arrived.
A side note: Canada's Wonderland has the word "Wonderland" in it, so why could they not name their Christmas festival something like "Canada's Winter Wonderland" or something else to do with "Winter Wonderland"? It seems like a missed opportunity.
As you walk around the Wonderland grounds, there are many things and activities that you can experience and partake. There are performers and carolers all around the park singing Christmas songs. You can take pictures with Santa, decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus, watch a holiday show, or go to the on-site Christmas Market for some yuletide shopping. These were just a few of the activities of the many around. There were amusement park rides that were open, but it made little sense for me to go on, as I can just go to Wonderland in the summer and go on all of the rides. My favorite part of WinterFest is when you walk through a path and all of the lights are pulsing to the beat and rhythm of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra song "Christmas Eve / Sarajevo". The walk felt like a holiday assault of the senses, and it was surreal to experience.
I absolutely recommend going to WinterFest to experience the splendor of Christmas. This is a family event and you can go with just about anyone, but going with a significant other provides the best experience. Many scenes at WinterFest provide the romantic backdrop for an intimate photo with the one you love. Canada's Wonderland did not have to put in a serious effort in order to make WinterFest an attractive holiday destination for an evening, but I am glad they did. I appreciate the work done to the amusement park to turn it into a literal Winter Wonderland, and others should experience the festival if they can.
More pictures and videos below:
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