The 2023 edition of Wildlights at the BC Wildlife Park will get underway in exactly one week, on December 15.

General Manager Glenn Grant says there will be well over a million lights during the 26th edition of the annual holiday lights display, which he says will feature several new photo opportunities.

“Couple of new features on the great lawn especially,” Grant said. “The North Pole area is drastically expanded. There are a lot more trees that are lit. That outdoor classroom that we built is fully decorated.”

“The eco gallery has been expanded a little bit for a large snow globe type photo op area, and on the lawn they have a 12 foot cube present where people can walk inside the present. So there’s a lot of new little things like that.”

Just like it was last year, Grant says the opening day of Wildlights will be a sensory friendly night in partnership with the Canucks Autism Network. All of the lights will be dimmed on December 15, and no music will be played, with a designated quite space also established inside the park.

“There will be sensory kits available for the children that need them,” Grant said. “We talk about being all inclusive, and so we really want to preach how important that is to the community.”

Other regular favourites – like Uncle Chris the Clown, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and Disney Princesses – will all be back this year.

“We were ecstatic when we got to 600,000 and 700,000 lights so you keep all that stuff and you go, ‘what else can we add?’ Grant said. “All of those staples are there but its also great to see some new brighter, larger things for people to enjoy.”

Wildlights will run until January 7 with the exception of Christmas Day, with information on tickets and other details available online here.