All you need to know about the new Christmas trail Land of Lights Festival North 2023
A new festive lights trail has joined the list of popular illuminations events in the north-west of England.
The theme park Gulliver’s World Resort in Cheshire has launched its Land of Lights Festival 2023.
Here is everything you need to know about it.
Name:
Land of Lights Festival North (there is another one in Milton Keynes).
What is it?
A lantern trail through 12 themed areas.
Visitors walk through illuminations including giant animal and monument lanterns, enjoying festive food and drink.
Where is it?
It is at Gulliver’s World Resort in Warrington, Cheshire.
What did we think?
This was a lovely, long route, longer than most festive trails, past a lake, through play areas which younger children made the most of and felt really magical in places with lots and lots of illuminations.
Highlights
*Our favourite bit was a mesmerising walk through an insect and bug section with blue lights cascading down from above.
The insect-themed area
*It was great seeing all the different themed areas, ranging from dinosaurs in a Jurassic section through to skeletons in a Halloween part. Illuminations included Dennis the Menace, animals and Santa.
*A naughty highlight was a ride on the log flume – naughty as we found out afterwards, this wasn’t included in our lights package (see top tips).
Top tips
*Offers – there is a Land of Lights Festival voucher code if you book for a date in January or February – LIGHTS20 gives you a 20 per cent discount.
*Will you get to go on any rides at Gulliver’s World? Not with just a ticket to the lights, this is a separate event. It can be a bit confusing as some of the rides might still be open for other guests – we had two goes on the log flume, without realising that we shouldn’t! Also not included is a Christmas show that visitors were queuing for and a train ride to Santa’s grotto. It is useful to know this before you go else it can get confusing particularly towards the exit and you don’t want your children spotting other things going on and being disappointed. There are different Christmas packages that include the various options if you want to do more than just the lights. One of the festive packages this year called Twinkle includes the Christmas activities (rides, North Pole Express, Elf Workshop and Santa’s Grotto) and also allows access to Land of Lights.
Dennis the Menace
*Gulliver’s Annual Passport holders must still by tickets and don’t receive any perks as this is a stand alone event, say organisers.
*What to wear? This is all outdoors so make sure to wrap up warm and bring waterproof clothes.
*There are some dog-friendly nights (they must be kept on a lead) on November 16 and 30, December 14 and 28, January 7 and 21 and February 4 and 18.
*Can you buy tickets at the event – yes, at the higher price if they have not sold out.
*There is no strobe lighting but some lantern features do include flashing, twinkling and colour changing lights.
Land of Lights Festival Warrington information
Dates: It runs until February 25, 2024.
Food: There is festive food and drink to enjoy at The Food Hub at Safari Kingdom where you can buy churros, Yorkshire pudding wraps, German sausages and drinks.
There are other drinks stalls around the trail. And Lagado’s Restaurant and Grill (next to the entrance and exit plazas) is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings if you prefer to sit down in the warm.
Opening hours: Depending on the night, it runs from about 4.45pm until 8pm or 9pm
Cost: Depending on the date – there are peak and off-peak dates), tickets bought in advance online are £15 or £19 for adults and children. Concessions £9 and £11.
Tickets not bought in advance are £18 or £22 for adults and children and £9 and £11 concessions.
Under-twos are free.
There is no senior rate, the concessionary rate is for those with a Blue Badge, DLA or PIP letter and their carer.
Best for: All ages.
Time needed: The trail takes around 90 minutes, depending on walking speed and how much you stop to eat, drink and look at the lights.
Access and restrictions: The route is mainly flat and firm, with some slight inclines.
There is a boardwalk which will not suit all mobility requirements but marshals will assist people on an alternative route if required.
Accessible toilets are available along the route.
Address: Gulliver’s World Resort, Old Hall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 9YZ.
Full guide and review of Lanterns and Light at Chester Zoo
The UK’s most popular zoo has launched its Christmas lights event for 2023.
Visitors will be flocking to the festive trail in Cheshire – Lanterns and Light – which is one of the most talked about in the North West of England.
And we were lucky enough to visit on opening night for this review and guide – here is everything you need to know plus our exclusive video.
Name:
Chester Zoo Lanterns and Light
What is it?
This animal-themed festive lights trail takes place after opening hours at Chester Zoo.
Visitors walk through new illuminations, lanterns and light installations meeting characters along the way and festive food to buy and enjoy as you go.
An illuminated rhino
Where is it?
Chester Zoo is on the northern outskirts of Chester in North West England.
What did we think?
The lovely lights and music of this trail are a great way to get into the Christmas mood.
It’s quite a relaxing trail, with cute touches and some stunning moments.
Highlights
*The flickering fire gardens – it was quite breathtaking to see real fire used as opposed to more modern illuminations – in hundreds of little lanterns.
*Person-controlled animal puppets dance and interact with visitors including elephants, an octopus, wild dogs and a rather enthusiastic zebra.
A person-controlled puppet
*A woolly mammoth makes a grand entrance on a large 3D projection screen.
Woolly mammoth
*Marshmallow toasting with different flavoured chunky marshmallows including salted caramel, vanilla and chocolate orange.
Marshmallow toasting
*A lane filled with larger than life pea-lit animals such as a stag, penguins and a giraffe.
Illuminated penguins
*The children enjoyed a virtual reality experience at the end of the trail.
*Knowing that every ticket helps the zoo in its conservation work supporting projects in more than 20 countries, helping animals to survive and thrive.
*Is Lanterns and Light free for Chester Zoo members? Chester Zoo members pay the same price for tickets as everyone else. Organisers say this is because it is a special event outside usual opening hours which raises funds for the zoo and its mission.
*What to do if you are visiting the zoo in the day – you need to go back to the main entrance at 3.30pm when it closes and wait for your ticket time so book as early as you can.
*What happens if the weather is bad? The event will only be cancelled in extreme weather and you will be contacted in advance.
*What to wear? This is all outdoors so make sure to wrap up warm and bring waterproof clothes.
*There are three little rides for younger children including a carousel, which cost £3 each. The virtual reality experience at the end costs £6 each or £10 for two and there are three different options. Ours enjoyed a Christmas experience where they became an elf – the other two are animal-based.
Lanterns and Light map
*You might catch a glimpse of Santa.
Chester Zoo Lanterns and Light information
Dates: It runs on various dates from November 17 to December 31.
Food: There is festive food and drink around the trail to enjoy, mostly within a Christmas Market Foodhall. Stands include pizza, burgers, hot chocolate, popcorn, crumble and giant, stuffed Yorkshire puddings.
Yorkshire pudding menu
You are also allowed to take your own food, just no alcohol.
Opening hours: There are timed tickets every 15 minutes with sessions from 4.15pm to 8pm. The event closes at 9.15pm.
Cost: Prices for Lanterns and Light range from £18 to £22 for adults and £12 to £17 for children, depending on the day. Children under two and carers are free but still need a booked ticket.
Best for: All ages.
Time needed: The trail takes 60 to 90 minutes.
Access and restrictions: The trail is flat but a bit uneven in places, plus it can be hard to see in the dark.
You can hire a mobility scooter or wheelchair by emailing guest.services@chesterzoo.org or a buggy at rentals when you get there.
For guests who need a quieter environment there are quiet times at 4pm on November 18, 23, 24, 25, 29 and December 6, call 01244 380280.
Full guide and review of BeWILDerwood Presents Christmas – A Sparkly Light & Panto Trail
BeWILDerwood Cheshire’s first ever Christmas lights event has begun.
The woodland attraction is already an established favourite day out for lots of families since it opened last year.
And now lots are going to experience its Sparkly Light and Panto Trail by night.
We were lucky enough to get a sneak preview, here is everything you need to know.
Name
BeWILDerwood Presents Christmas – A Sparkly Light & Panto Trail
What is it?
It is a light trail along new woodland pathways, a 10-minute pantomime, BeWILDerwood characters and a glimpse of Santa Claus himself, with a special gift for all children to take home.
A giant Christmas pudding
BeWILDerwood itself is a family attraction based on magical characters and their adventures from children’s books written by Tom Blofeld. The adventure park is all in woodland and includes treehouses, slides, den building, storytelling and zip wires – BeWILDerwood Cheshire – review, guide and top tips.
Where is it?
At BeWILDerwood Cheshire – north of Whitchurch on the A49 in south west Cheshire near the border with Shropshire.
What did we think?
This was a lovely Christmassy, magical evening out to get you in the festive mood.
It’s a lengthy walk along twinkly trails through gingerbread men, candy canes, disco lights, snowmen and more with occasional interactions with BeWILDerwood characters.
Halfway around is the mini pantomime and food stop, the second half of the walk is even better with Christmas trees, a lake and fake snow falling.
The 10-minute pantomime
As it was the launch night, we were lucky enough to talk to the BeWILDerwood author himself Tom Blofeld, who was walking the route to see everyone’s reactions.
He has written a new Christmas-themed story to add to his collection of books, which introduces new characters. There are glimpses of the story along the route.
Highlights
*The staff are welcoming and friendly.
*There is hot chocolate available to buy before you begin the trail.
*There are a couple of parts in the second half where ‘snow’ falls – you will still be wearing dots of it in the car on the way home.
*Every child receives a copy of Tom Blofeld’s new Christmas story to take home as well as a craft.
Top tips
*You get to see Santa at the end, you can wave at him but there is not a meet and greet or grotto situation.
*Tickets need to be booked in advance and you are given an arrival timeslot of 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm, 5.30pm, 6pm or 6.30pm.
*The park closes at 8pm.
*This event runs when it is dark so all the play structures, zip wires, slides etc are closed. Also, parts of the trail are very dark such as around the pantomine area, you might need to use a phone light to see where you are going.
*Annual pass holders get free entry but still need to book a space by calling 01829 830 730.
The author
Tom Blofeld’s books include A Boggle at Bewilderwood, The Bewilderbats and A Bewildermuddle.
He hopes the event will bring the magic of Christmas and the magic of BeWILDerwood together.
BeWILDerwood Presents Christmas – A Sparkly Light & Panto Trail information
Dates: It runs on selected dates from December 2 to 23.
Food: Food is available at the Munch Bar where there are warm snacks and hot drinks for sale including hot dogs, turkey baps, steak slices, cheese slices and picnic boxes for children including a ham or cheese roll and crisps.
Munch Bar menu
Opening hours: Time slots start at 4pm and the park closes at 8pm.
Cost: Tickets must be booked in advance online and cost £15.50 per person. Children under 92cm, carers and wheelchair users are free but everyone needs a ticket.
Best for: All ages.
Time needed: An hour and a half.
Access and restrictions: The trail is accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters but can be very dark, narrow, bumpy in places and may be muddy.
Christmas fun for all the family at seven light installations around the country
Tickets are on sale for fantastic festive trails at seven famous sites across the country.
World-renowned artists and designers have got together to create the illuminated events at historic and iconic venues including Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace and Dunham Massey.
The outdoor experiences are designed for all ages to enjoy and celebrate the festive season.
Additional facilities and significantly increased hygiene procedures will be made available for trail visitors.
The events have been organised by promoter Raymond Gubbay Limited, Culture Creative and the individual venues.
Christmas at Kew
When: November 18, 2020 to January 3, 2021
What: Now in its eighth year, Christmas at Kew returns with a new trail to illuminate the fabulous gardens with more than one million lights.
Address: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, TW9 3AE.
What: The Illuminated trail returns to Blenheim Palace transforming it with a bright and magical winter walk inspired by the landscape itself, featuring lasers and light projections.
What: The new trail at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh will feature bouncing lines of light in the laser garden and giant luminescent sculptures rising high into the night sky.
Inverleith House will be it by a new festive projection across its historic façade.
Address: Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, EH3 5NZ.
Family fun awaits at award-winning Christmas light festival
While many Christmas events are being cancelled, an award-winning and socially-distanced light festival in Manchester is set to go ahead.
Lightopia returns to the city with this year’s Christmas at Heaton Park event.
The festive family festival runs from November 20, 2020 to January 3, 2021.
There will be new themes and creations but changes have also been made in light of Covid restrictions, to keep visitors safe including wider footpaths and three entry points to reduce queueing.
There will be a magical illuminated trail, designed so that people can maintain a social distance from each other and two car parks.
Lightopia 2020 will also pay tribute to Coronavirus frontline workers with a Local Heroes Area, featuring the words ‘thank you’ and a colourful rainbow display.
Lightopia creative director Ian Xiang said organisers are “excited” to bring Lightopia back to Manchester.
“We have once again created a world in which light, sculpture and art combine with traditional, Chinese lantern-making techniques to create an immersive experience, full of light and stories,” he said.
“We want our guests to become part of the Lightopia story, helping to create new forms of art as they interact and engage with the luminescent sculptures that trail through Heaton Park.”
Lightopia
Among the new additions will be a Christmas showcase using the Grade I-listed Heaton Hall as its sparkling backdrop.
There will also be Santa’s sleigh, a giant interactive walking piano, an astronomy display and interactive Zodiac sign installation.
Children will love robotic controlled pads on the floor, which create light shows when stepped on.
Another area is dedicated to the Manchester skyline and an immersive Musical City area, will encourage visitors to dance their way through the lights.
Returning attractions include the Woodland Fairytale area, the Animals attraction and the Discovery space.
A Lakeside water show includes a state-of-the-art projection while dragon sculptures will lead the way to Lightopia’s food stalls and licensed bars.
The event from November 20 to January 3 runs between 5pm and 10pm and last entry is 8.30pm daily.
The event is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except during school holidays and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Tickets are £20 online for adults (or £22 on the day), £13 for children (or £15 on the day) and £60 for families of two adults and two children (£68 on the day). Children under three can go free.
Essential carers of disabled visitors can attend for free, the disabled visitor pays the normal admission fee.
