Fantasy of Lights at Uxbridge, Ontario

How the world lights up during Christmas, isn’t it? Festivities, décor, glittering Christmas trees, shiny gift boxes and happy smiles abound. Sometimes, all one needs to do is get into the car and drive around after dark to feel the magic of Christmas.

After driving through the famous, decorated houses of Old Scugog Road, Bowmanville, when we heard about the Fantasy of Lights at Uxbridge, we knew we had to do it!

When and Where?

Located on Main Street in the heart of Uxbridge, Elgin Park has traditionally hosted the annual Fantasy of Lights. With 140 acres of gardens and trails, this park is perfect for the beautiful display of Christmas lights and décor that attracts thousands of viewers each year.

The event opens some time early in December and runs every evening until just after New Year. Between 6pm and 9.30pm, Elgin Park lights up the sky and is open to visitors free of cost!

What is it?

Featuring close to 75 light displays from businesses, schools, community groups, Churches and families, the Fantasy of Lights is one of the biggest light-displays in Ontario. It has been an annual event for the past 12 years, that has been steadily growing in magnitude.

While visitors are generally invited to walk through the park, in 2020, owing to the unique COVID-caused circumstances, the Fantasy of Lights is a drive-through event.

What to Expect?

Expect to walk/drive through a magical Christmas land. You will be surrounded by jolly looking Santa figures, naughty elves, sparkling snowmen, the Grinch, an array of reindeer and everything else Christmas-y! The displays are beautiful and breath-taking. All put together, it feels like you have entered a new world- one in which it is Christmas all the time.

While there is no fee to enter the Fantasy of Lights at Uxbridge, it is appreciated if you leave a donation while exiting the park. If you are attending the drive-through event, you can expect it to take about 15 minutes from one end to the other. Of course, on weekends and special holidays, this time could double.

Tip and Tricks:

1. If you can, go on a weekday. This would mean less wait time and a more leisurely visit.
2. Since we drove about 45 minutes to Uxbridge to see this fantastic display, the 15-minute circuit seemed to end too soon! So, we drove out and back in for a second trip. We did leave a donation each time, but you don’t have to.
3. Grab a hot chocolate before you enter and play some Christmas carols while you drive-through. That is all you need to make it a perfect evening.
4. We were busy clicking pictures on our first circuit, so in the second one, we put our phones down and enjoyed the displays without any gadgets to distract us.
5. Take friends along! The more, the merrier.

If you enjoy Christmas-y drives and are looking for more things to do in Durham during Christmas, check out my blog about the Christmas Lights on Old Scugog Road, Bowmanville.