Looking for something to do this Christmas? Glow Langley and other BC Christmas light experiences offer different ways to enjoy the holiday season.
Glow is a ticketed, immersive Christmas festival with a new themed world each year. It also has attractions, entertainment, food, and shopping.
VanDusen Festival of Lights combines Christmas lights with a botanical garden. Lights at Lafarge offers a free outdoor light display around Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam.
Merry & Bright offers a different experience. It transforms a real film set into a Christmas setting.
1. Glow Langley vs VanDusen Festival of Lights: What’s the Difference?
Glow Langley and the VanDusen Festival of Lights both feature thousands of Christmas lights. However, the two festivals offer different experiences.
Glow is an immersive Christmas festival. VanDusen turns a botanical garden into a large holiday light display.
Glow celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026. Each year brings a new Christmas world and theme. In 2026, Christmas Treasures takes visitors on an underwater adventure. Guests can explore themed areas filled with lights, attractions, entertainment, food, and more than 20 local vendors.
Glow is also a family-focused festival. It has a no-alcohol policy and is designed for visitors of all ages. Families can enjoy the lights, activities, and attractions together.
VanDusen Festival of Lights celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. The festival takes a different approach. It uses the botanical garden as the setting for its light displays.
Visitors can walk through illuminated garden paths and explore seasonal displays. The festival also offers live entertainment, Santa visits, and light-and-music shows on Livingstone Lake.
Alcoholic drinks are permitted at VanDusen. The festival also has fewer onsite vendors than Glow
2. What Makes Glow Langley an Immersive Christmas Experience?
Glow Langley is more than a collection of Christmas light displays. Each season creates a completely new themed world. The theme appears throughout the lights, displays, activities, and attractions.
In 2026, Christmas Treasures takes guests on an underwater adventure. Visitors can explore different themed areas and discover the story as they move through the festival.
There is plenty to do beyond the lights. Guests can ride the Glow-comotive, visit the Crystal Palace and Santa, enjoy live entertainment, get food, and browse the Merry Makers Market.
Instead of simply looking at Christmas lights, visitors can step into the story and explore it.
3. Glow Langley vs Lights at Lafarge: What’s the Difference?
Glow Langley and Lights at Lafarge offer very different Christmas experiences.
Glow is a ticketed Christmas festival built around one themed world. It combines light displays with attractions, entertainment, food, and shopping. Each year also brings a new theme. In 2026, that theme is Christmas Treasures.
Lights at Lafarge is a free outdoor light display at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park. The lights follow a 1.6-kilometre pathway around Lafarge Lake.
The City also offers community activities during the season. These can include entertainment, crafts, and food vendors.
Glow works well for visitors who want a full festival experience. Lights at Lafarge is a good option if you want a free Christmas light walk.
4. How Do the Settings Compare?
The three experiences use their surroundings in very different ways.
Glow Langley is primarily an outdoor walk-around festival, with its themed environments and attractions contained within the festival grounds.
VanDusen Festival of Lights takes place within the VanDusen Botanical Garden, combining illuminated displays with the garden’s existing landscape.
Lights at Lafarge takes place around Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park. The official route follows a 1.6-kilometre pathway around the lake, making the surrounding park and lake part of the experience.
5. Glow Langley vs. Merry & Bright: What’s the Difference
Glow Langley and Merry & Bright both offer Christmas lights, entertainment, food, and a festive atmosphere. However, the two experiences have very different settings.
Glow is a family-focused Christmas festival. It combines themed light displays with attractions, interactive activities, Santa, princesses, and live entertainment.
Visitors can also ride the Glow-comotive, enjoy festival food, and shop at the Merry Makers Market.
Merry & Bright takes place at Martini Town, a real film set. The streets are transformed into a Christmas setting with lights and festive decorations.
Visitors can enjoy live entertainment, artisan shopping, food, and hot drinks. The film-set setting gives the event a strong Christmas movie feel.
Glow is a good choice for families who want lots of activities. Merry & Bright can be a good choice for families and couples.
6. Which Christmas Festival Has the Most for Kids?
The best Christmas festival for kids depends on what they enjoy.
Glow Langley has a large selection of activities. Children can ride the Glow-comotive, visit Santa, meet princesses, make crafts, play games, and enjoy interactive activities and live entertainment.
VanDusen Festival of Lights focuses more on exploring illuminated displays. Families can walk through the botanical garden and enjoy seasonal exhibits and programming.
Lights at Lafarge offers a free outdoor light walk around Lafarge Lake. The festival also has family activities and community events at certain times during the season.
Merry & Bright combines its film-set setting with Santa, characters, live entertainment, and other festive activities.
If your family wants lots of activities in one place, Glow is a strong choice. If you prefer a garden setting, free light walk, or Christmas movie atmosphere, the other festivals offer different experiences.
7. What About Food, Drinks, and Christmas Shopping?
Food and shopping are part of several of these Christmas experiences. However, the options are different at each event.
Glow Langley has food trucks, seasonal drinks, and the Merry Makers Market. The market features more than 20 local vendors.
Merry & Bright offers food and hot drinks. Its Market Lane features local businesses and artisans selling gifts, treats, and other holiday goods.
VanDusen Festival of Lights also has food vendors onsite. The botanical garden provides a different setting for enjoying your meal or drink.
Lights at Lafarge is mainly a free outdoor light display. It is not a Christmas market. Food vendors and other activities may be available during special events.
If food or Christmas shopping is important to you, check the current event information before visiting. Vendors and offerings can change from year to year.
8. How Long Should You Plan to Spend?
How long you need depends on the type of Christmas experience you choose.
Glow Langley has no time limit. Its official FAQ says most guests spend about two hours exploring the lights and activities.
Merry & Bright also has no time limit once you are inside. Tickets have designated entry times. After entering, visitors can explore Martini Town, enjoy entertainment, eat, and browse the market.
VanDusen Festival of Lights covers 15 acres of the botanical garden. Your visit can take longer if you want to explore more of the garden. The 2025 festival ran from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Lights at Lafarge offers a more flexible visit. The route follows a 1.6-kilometre pathway around Lafarge Lake. You can take a shorter walk or stay longer to enjoy the displays and other activities.
In general, Glow and Merry & Bright work well for longer evenings. Lights at Lafarge is easier to visit for a shorter stop. VanDusen can fall somewhere in between.
9. How Does Parking Compare?
Parking is different at each Christmas experience.
Glow Langley offers free onsite parking. Staff direct visitors to available spaces. Accessible parking is also available near the front of the lot.
VanDusen Festival of Lights has parking at the garden, but spaces are limited. For the 2026 Festival of Lights period, event-rate parking of $25 for up to three hours is planned between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Merry & Bright takes place at Martini Town. Visitors can check the event’s current parking information before arriving.
Lights at Lafarge is next to Lafarge Lake–Douglas SkyTrain Station. This makes public transit a convenient option. Parking is available around Town Centre Park. Check current City information before arriving, especially during busy periods.
Parking can be busy during popular times. Check the current event information before you leave, as parking arrangements can change between seasons.
10. How Accessible Are the Different Experiences?
Accessibility varies because each festival uses a different type of venue.
Glow Langley has flat, paved roads and hard-packed gravel paths. Accessible parking and washrooms are available within the festival. See Glow Langley Accessibility & Logistics Guide for more details.
VanDusen Festival of Lights takes place throughout the botanical garden. Most paved garden paths are accessible for wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers. Some paths can be uneven. Some areas also have steps without handrails on both sides.
Lights at Lafarge follows a pathway around Lafarge Lake in Town Centre Park.
Merry & Bright takes place outdoors at Martini Town. The exact conditions can vary around the venue.
For any festival, check the accessibility information before visiting. This will help you understand the paths, parking, surfaces, and facilities.
11. Which Christmas Festival Is Best for Families?
There is no single best Christmas festival for every family. The right choice depends on what you want to do.
Glow Langley is a good choice for families who want lots of activities. The festival has themed lights, attractions, games, crafts, Santa, and live entertainment.
VanDusen Festival of Lights suits families who enjoy exploring illuminated gardens. Visitors can discover different displays throughout the large outdoor setting.
Lights at Lafarge offers a free and flexible light walk around Lafarge Lake. The festival also has community activities at certain times during the season.
Merry & Bright combines Christmas lights with a film-set environment. Families can enjoy Santa, entertainment, and other festive activities.
Think about what your family enjoys most. You may prefer activities and attractions, a garden setting, a free community light walk, or a Christmas movie atmosphere.
12. Which Christmas Experience Is Best for a Date Night?
The best Christmas date night depends on the type of evening you want.
Merry & Bright offers a cinematic setting at Martini Town. The film set becomes a Christmas village with lights, decorations, live entertainment, food, and hot drinks.
Couples can walk through the illuminated streets and browse the market together. The movie-set setting also creates plenty of photo opportunities.
VanDusen Festival of Lights offers a quieter type of evening. Couples can walk through the illuminated botanical garden and explore the displays together.
Glow Langley is more activity-focused. It combines themed environments with attractions, entertainment, food, and shopping.
Lights at Lafarge is the simplest option. The free light display follows the pathway around Lafarge Lake. It is easy to visit for a walk without buying a festival ticket.
14. Which Christmas Festival Should You Choose?
Choose Glow Langley if…
You want an immersive Christmas world with lots to do.
Glow creates a new themed experience each year. In 2026, visitors can explore the new world of Christmas Treasures. The festival also includes the Glow-comotive, Crystal Palace, Santa, princesses, interactive activities, live entertainment, food trucks, and the Merry Makers Market.
It is a good choice for families and groups who want an activity-filled evening.
Consider the Festival of Lights if…
You want to wander through illuminated botanical gardens. VanDusen’s Festival of Lights transforms the garden into a large-scale holiday light experience, combining illuminated displays with the natural landscape.
Choose Lights at Lafarge if…
You want a free, flexible outdoor light experience. Lights at Lafarge transforms a 1.6-kilometre pathway around Lafarge Lake with lights and re-imagined displays.
Consider Merry & Bright if…
You want Christmas movie magic. Merry & Bright transforms Martini Town, a functioning film set, into an immersive holiday experience with illuminated streets, festive décor, live entertainment, food and hot drinks, local artisans, and Santa. It is family-friendly, but its film-set setting and atmosphere also make it a natural choice for couples or anyone who enjoys the feeling of stepping onto a Christmas movie set.
15. The Biggest Difference: Immersive Festival vs. Other Christmas Experiences
The biggest difference is what you are stepping into.
Glow creates a new Christmas world each year. The theme appears throughout the lights, displays, attractions, entertainment, and activities. The goal is to create a complete festival experience.
The other Christmas experiences take different approaches.
Merry & Bright turns a real film backlot into a Christmas setting. VanDusen Festival of Lights combines light displays with a botanical garden. Lights at Lafarge transforms the pathway around Lafarge Lake into a free outdoor light display.
Each experience offers something different. The best choice depends on whether you want an immersive festival, a movie-set Christmas, illuminated gardens, or a free outdoor light walk.
FAQ
Where is Glow Langley located?
6690 216 St, Langley, BC V2Y 2N9 — enter the lot heading north up 216th Street. Parking is free.
What is the Glow-comotive?
The Glow-comotive is Glow Langley’s signature train ride, taking guests through the illuminated festival experience. It is included with admission and is particularly popular with younger visitors.
What kind of food is at these events?
Food options vary between the festivals. Glow Langley offers food trucks, seasonal drinks, and other festival food options. Merry & Bright has comfort food and hot seasonal drinks, with food trucks and a café onsite in 2025.
VanDusen Festival of Lights has multiple food vendors onsite, while Lights at Lafarge has offered food trucks during the festival, with the City specifically planning for several trucks offering a variety of cuisines.
If food is important to your visit, check the festival website before going. Vendors and menus can change each season.
