Glow Vancouver 2019

Glow is a Christmas lights festival with 2 locations – one in downtown Vancouver and one in Langley. The event boasts interactive light gardens, illuminated structures, food and drinks as well as live entertainment. This review is based on their Vancouver location.

Tickets

Ticket prices

We received free tickets, but Glow has different types of tickets at different prices:

Ticket type	Price (CAD)
Adult	Weekdays: $20 Weekend & holidays: $23 Season pass: $50
Children (4-12 years old) & seniors	Weekdays: $15 Weekend & holidays: $17 Season pass: $39
Family (2 adults + 3 children)	Weekdays: $66 Weekend & holidays: $75
Children (< 3 years old)	Free

If you purchase tickets at the door, they will be roughly $2 more per person than the online ticket prices quoted above.

Ticket entry times

It is mandatory to select an entry time when purchasing a ticket. This means if you select an entry time of 2pm, you cannot enter before 2pm. This set-up is to help Glow maintain crowding and adhere to safety codes of buildings.

We purchased our tickets for 2pm but due to unexpected events, we were unable to arrive to Glow until 9pm. We were allowed in right away as there are fewer people later into the night. If you arrive past your entry window, Glow may give priority to other customers who arrive within their entry window.

You can stay inside for as long as you like after you enter.

Location and parking

The Vancouver location is where the old Hard rock casino used to be, close to Science World. If you purchase on-site parking, it will be $10. Alternative options include Parq, which is $15 on non-event nights.

We found parking on the other side near the Pacific Central Station (2 hrs free parking until 6pm) and simply had a nice 10 minute walk around False Creek.

Note: they offer donation coat check inside.

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Things to do inside Glow

Once inside, there are multiple activities to indulge in (all super kid-friendly).

Scavenger hunt

We are given a scavenger hunt map. You visit and complete different activities to help find Santa’s lost presents.

As we arrive very late and we are not 5 years old, we are not super interested in this scavenger hunt. Your children might be though.

Enjoy live music

The first thing we see when we come into Glow is the stage with a live band playing Christmas classics. They have some picnic tables and open area for you to sing and dance. We also see Santa dancing around with a girl who is dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Photography

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In general, Glow is a photography spot. There are large light installations and lots of Instagram-worthy photo opportunities. So whether you are here to take cute family photos or if you are here to make your boyfriend take pictures of yourself, this activity is almost the only activity you can do as an adult.

They light installations are quite pretty and because you are indoors, you can pick your perfect outfit to coordinate with photography without worrying about how cold you will be. I also think that because it is indoors, they are able to have more intricate light installations than outdoor events of the same kind.

They have different props as well – one area is filled with giant teddy bears.

Another area has giant photo frames.

They have these low-budget LED waterfall lights (they are inside plastic tubes to protect them).

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And a fog machine near a fountain.

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Photo with Santa

Santa leaves at 9pm, apparently to dance near the stage.

I do think the Photos with Santa is pretty worth it considering the lineups I see at Metrotown Mall… the set-up inside Glow for photos with santa is also quite spectacular. The lights add a dazzle!

Glen the Glow-comotive

Again, the train is closed by the time I get there – not that I would have sat on it because the area for the train to move is quite small. Again, a fun activity for your child.

LED swings and hopscotch

They have about 5-6 of these circle swings, which are quite fun even for adults. They change colours and are actually comfortable to swing upon.

On a busy day, however, you may have to fight children to sit on it for a few seconds.

The interactive hop scotch is quite a neat idea. They are medium-sized circle things you can step on and it changes colour every time you step or jump on it.

Bouncy reindeers + playground

There is one corner filled with (kinda dirty) bouncy reindeers. I assume it’s for much smaller children.

There is also an indoor playground. Like an actual plastic playground with slides and stuff that you see in people’s backyards.

Movie? Kinda?

There is a children theatre – an actual auditorium room where they play a Christmas movie clip on loop for 10 minutes.

Colouring

They have little tables and colouring sheets available as well for your children to do some art time.

Food and drinks

We didn’t purchase any food or beverages at Glow, but there are options to do so. They have a cafe on the first floor with kid-friendly options. They also have a poke station in one corner of the first floor, and a small bar on the top floor.

Gift shop

Lastly, there is a gift shop, mostly comprised of items from Lazy One, the pajama store. This is right next to the hopscotch on the second floor.

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Final thoughts

I enjoyed visiting Glow as a first-time customer. The venue is 2 floors and there are a lot of activities for family and children. Because it’s indoors as well, I believe a lot of parents will feel comfortable staying here for hours with their children as they marvel at every installation.

I came with just my boyfriend (2 adults) and we left after 1 hour after seeing all the attractions and taking photos. Again, we arrived after 9pm so the venue must have been emptier than the day time. This allowed us to finish seeing everything much faster and better photos.

I’m not sure if I will visit next year given the price point unless it’s for a photo shoot or I am with children. Again, as a family this is definitely worth it.

Sincerely, Loewe