Alight at Night attendance milestone reached

nnMORRISBURG – The region’s largest wintertime tourist attraction reached a historic milestone – 750,000 visitors. The Alight at Night festival at Upper Canada Village welcomed its 750,000th guest visit just before Christmas.nn“Alight at Night has become a beloved holiday tradition for many, as 750,000 lifetime attendees attests,” said St. Lawrence Parks Commission chair Bob Runciman. “Alight at Night is a shining example of how we can re-imagine a space to provide an additional experience and extend the tourism season; something our teams at St. Lawrence Parks Commission are very good at.”nnIn its 23rd season, Alight at Night first opened in 2001 and features more than one million lights illuminating the 1860s historic Upper Canada Village.nn“The SLPC does a great job hosting special events like the Alight at Night experience,” said South Dundas mayor Jason Broad. “The total amount of visitors to the event is almost reaching the amount of lights they have – that is incredible. With South Dundas being the gateway to UCV, we welcome all visitors to our area and congratulate them on their milestone.”nnThe mayor added that having that many people travel through South Dundas makes an impact on the local economy supporting local businesses.nn“Congratulations to the team at the St. Lawrence Parks Commission on reaching 750,000 guest visits at the beautiful Alight at Night festival. This is an incredible milestone,” said Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Nolan Quinn.nnThis season’s edition of Alight at Night marked the return of the miniature train ride, which had been out of service for the past few years during the event – first due to COVID-19 measures, then a derailment which made the service unavailable in 2022.nn“Alight at Night provides Ontarians and visitors alike with another exciting opportunity to explore Eastern Ontario and get into the holiday spirit,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “Over 750,000 people will have taken in one of Ontario’s largest outdoor light displays by the end of this season, providing a welcomed boost to local businesses and adding to the year-round selection of activities to discover.”nnAlight at Night reopened after a brief closure for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The attraction runs nightly from December 26 through to January 6, 2024. Tickets to attend must be purchased online through its website at alightatnight.ca.