Veronica Raine performing at Glow Lethbridge during an advanced public viewing on Nov. 13. Photo by Sophie Swanson Blackstock.
An indoor winter light festival has made its return to Lethbridge. Glow Lethbridge is being hosted at the Lethbridge Trade & Convention Centre for its third year in a row. The event, which is hosted by Excite Lethbridge, is a winter light display with various activities for both children and adults alike. But Glow Lethbridge is not just focused on magical holiday fun.
Excite Lethbridge has a community booth program that gives community organizations the opportunity to promote themselves and interact with attendees. The idea was carried over from a similar initiative during Whoop Up Days earlier in the year. The community organizations involved include charities and nonprofits.
“We have the big truck, a showcase which is done in conjunction with Lethbridge Family Services. That will be happening in December, where a bunch of lit up trucks are coming and they are raising donations for the Angel Tree campaign,” says Paul Kingsmith, director of event development with Excite Lethbridge.
Along with the community booths, there will be a theme night involving the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Dec. 7, and a coat check that supports the Ronald McDonald House.
“Our mandate as Excite Lethbridge is to support this community and we get so much support from this community. This is really a way that we can give back,” says Kingsmith.
Some activities visitors can look forward to include a scavenger hunt, a train ride, and multiple different light displays. A few of the light displays are interactive and many can be explored by walking through tunnels.
During the month-long festival, there will be live entertainment and theme nights such as Glow After Dark Dueling Pianos. The powerful performance will return on Dec. 18 and will be limited to those 18 and over.
Veronica Raine, a local artist, performed at Glow Lethbridge on Nov. 13 during an advanced public viewing. She said she was honoured to be invited to perform at Glow Lethbridge and she hopes others will attend.
“I think that a lot of the times it kind of goes untapped or people don’t necessarily realize like how vibrant it is, our arts community. I would encourage anyone who’s listening or reading or whatever to go research what shows are on and go support your local artists,” says Raine.
The festival opened its doors on Nov. 14 and will continue to run until Dec. 31. Children three and under can attend for free and there is free parking on site.
