The City of Surrey says it is happy to announce that the ‘Bright Nights’ event — by the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund — is coming back to Surrey after more than 27 years.
Mayor Brenda Locke says the event will be featured as part of the second annual ‘Noel Holiday Light Festival’ at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds between November 28 and December 28 this year.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The festival will feature three million lights along an accessible path around the pond at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre.
Additionally, organizers will attract guests with a 50-foot Ferris wheel and an expanded Christmas market at the new location.
The tradition began in the mid-1980s when Surrey residents Bob Wingfield and Marg Barrett created an elaborate Christmas light display at their Newton home with support from Surrey firefighters.
“This started in Surrey, and it is coming back home, and we are so very proud of that,” said Mayor Locke at a press conference on Wednesday.
Locke is especially excited for all the children south of the Fraser River.
“This is a great news story for kiddos in our region.”
“Between Surrey Langley and Delta, there are over 200,000 children, so you can imagine how many kids and their families are going to be attending.”
According to BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund representatives, the move to Surrey was a long time coming. And Surrey Locke says it is here to stay.
“We do feel very close to ‘Bright Lights’ and what happened in Newton over 30 years ago.”
A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund to support burn survivors across the province.
Over the last several years, ‘Bright Nights’ has been operating out of Stanley Park.
However, with the Stanley Park Train out of commission, organizers were forced to find a new home.
The Vancouver Park Board announced earlier this month that the ‘Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience’ would take the fundraiser’s place in Stanley Park this year.