There are less than two weeks left to see the full Lights at Lafarge in Coquitlam.
The annual winter lights display that opened on Nov. 24, 2023, at Town Centre Park will start to come down on Family Day, Feb. 19, 2024.
And the city’s Park Spark Light Brigade will celebrate the conclusion on Sunday, Feb. 18, with a party at the Town Centre Park Community Plaza from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Sara Yastremski, Coquitlam’s parks services manager, told the Tri-City News that about 475,000 visitors have made their way around the 1.2-km lake pathway over the past three months to view the 100,000 brightly coloured LED lights and vignettes highlighting this year’s themes of flora, fauna and fairytales.
She credited the 1,000-plus volunteers who “have lent their expertise and enthusiasm” to build the elements and install the lights with the Park Spark team.
Sponsored by Coquitlam Centre with a $20,000 grant, Lights at Lafarge is the biggest free outdoor light exhibit in Metro Vancouver.
The lights are on from 4 to 10 p.m. daily; however, the best times to view the lights are on weekdays or during off-peak hours (before 6 p.m. or after 8 p.m.).
To get to the park, hop on the Millennium Line to the Lafarge Lake–Douglas station; there is also limited parking at the northern end of Town Centre Park and street parking along Pinetree Way.
Meanwhile, the Park Spark Light Brigade has five more activities scheduled for the public before the light display wraps up:
- Friday, Feb. 9: Collage Choir
- 7 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 10: Decked-out Dog Walk Night
- 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 11: Love is in the Air
- 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 14: Will you be my Valentine?
- 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 17: Family Day Carnival Night
- 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Mackin Park Lights
As for the Mackin Park light display, it will be up until after the annual Festival du Bois that runs from March 8 to 10 at the southwestern corner of Brunette Avenue and King Edward Street.
That fête opens under the Grand Chapiteau with free party featuring the music of Podorythmie followed by a contradance with the Sybaritic String Band and caller Maureen Collier.
For more details about Lights at Lafarge, you can visit the city's website. To help the Park Spark Light Brigade dismantle the installations, you can send an email to [email protected].
