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Fire show Friday night starts Coquitlam's Lights at Lafarge

As the free annual festival begins this week in Coquitlam, the executive director of the Evergreen Cultural Centre is warning show ticket-holders about the lack of reserved parking this year.
Janis Cleugh
Manfred2-Lights at Lafarge
The City of Coquitlam's Lights at Lafarge festival kicks off on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.MANFRED KRAUS PHOTO

A fire performance in Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park on Friday, Nov. 22, will ignite the annual Lights at Lafarge — the biggest free outdoor lights display in Metro Vancouver.

The fire and light show at 7:40 p.m. will cap off the entertainment at the city kickoff, which runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and also includes:

  • Krystle Dos Santos
  • Coastal Sound Music Academy’s children’s choir
  • YVR Pop Choir

The opening ceremonies are scheduled for 7:25 p.m.

Happening until late February 2025, the three-month festival that draws thousands of visitors each night twinkles with multi-coloured LED lights that have been installed by city crews and volunteers over the past two weeks.

New for this year is the dinosaur and volcano scene by the tunnels at the northern end of Lafarge Lake, as well as the pixies in the pea pods floating along the south.

Heidi Hughes, Coquitlam’s tourism and visitor economy manager, told the Tri-City News today, Nov. 20, that the Lights at Lafarge celebration is a boon for the city.

“It is a shining example of how community celebrations and events can support local business and contribute to a vibrant, thriving economy during the holiday season,” she said.

“Local retailers and service providers benefit from an influx of visitors looking for holiday gifts, dining options and experiences. With the event drawing regional visitors, local businesses gain exposure to a wider customer base that might not otherwise visit Coquitlam.”

Evergreen caution

Meanwhile, the Evergreen Cultural Centre, located next to Lafarge Lake, is warning ticket-holders and users of the arts hub that there will be no reserved parking for them this year.

As a result of the first-come, first-served parking during the holiday season, show-goers who are unable to find parking onsite — on the city-owned and -operated lot — will have to park elsewhere.  

“As a cultural partner of the City of Coquitlam, we are concerned about the impact this will have on our patrons,” said Philip Hartwick, Evergreen’s executive director, stated in a news release.

“We are alerting all our visitors and the public by sharing information provided to us about alternatives, including public transit and other parking lots our patrons may wish to use instead.”

He directed Evergreen ticket-holders to give feedback to the City of Coquitlam about the parking changes and to copy Evergreen in the email, as the facility is monitoring the responses.

Users of the Town Centre Park Community Centre, formerly the Innovation Centre, will also be affected.

Get there

The easiest way to get to Town Centre Park is to hop on SkyTrain to the Lafarge Lake–Douglas station and walk five minutes east to the park.

For drivers, look for the digital counters at the Town Centre Park parking lots. You can also park at lots around Coquitlam City Hall.

The 1.2-km pathway around Lafarge Lake is accessible; however, there is a narrow, forest path at the southern end.

The best times to see the light display are before 6 p.m. and after 8 p.m. on weekdays. The lights are on daily from 4 to 10 p.m.

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