We drove up from Oregon to visit the Festival of Lights and we were very lucky with the weather! It…read morewas a gorgeous and magical evening and I would recommend it.

A great way to spend the dark evening. Lines are long, vaccine passport required... but if you can…read moredeal with that, it's great. The place has lights like no one's business, and it's great for the kiddos. There are lots of people, so if you don't like that, don't go. They have limited food options during the event, and the mini-donut stand had a VERY long line. I'm sure they are delicious, but yeah, not waiting for that. The trees, lake, random objects are all dressed in lights, hello Christmas Vacation.

It's my third year at Glow Langley and I swear the light displays keep getting bigger and bigger!…read moreOh my goodness this place is just breathtakingly beautiful. Glow is the finest, grandest, and most immersive Christmas celebration available. A complete wonderland throughout. Glow truly knows how to do the holidays right! They went all out this year! This year they took it even further: bigger glow, brighter magic, and the full holiday spirit. If you want big Christmas vibes then this is it! Every corner was dressed in holiday magic - twinkling lights, festive music, and pure Christmas vibes everywhere you turned. It was one of those perfect nights to be out walking, laughing, and just soaking it all in. From the moment I entered, the atmosphere pulled me in: bright lights, loud music, and the smell of hot chocolate drifting through the cold night air. It's the kind of place where even adults forget they're adults for a moment. The live music, the festive activities, the holiday characters, the Crystal Ice Palace--each element contributed to the sense of stepping into a winter festival built to entertain. Glow is pure festive magic! Just an unbelievable light display... just fantastic!... you have to see it to believe it!... and the art and talent that's put into this is out of this world! The displays were bold, vibrant, and full of magic -- every turn felt like something new to look at. It is, without a doubt, the most Instagrammable spot in the city during December. The light displays are beautifully crafted, creating a magical atmosphere that truly captures the festive spirit. You can definitely see the dedication and hard work throughout Glow. This is a magical experience that truly brings the spirit of Christmas to life! The light displays were breathtaking, the atmosphere felt like a fairytale, and every corner of Glow was glowing with wonder. The work gone into making this event must be massive but well worth it. Love all the thought and care that went into it. This is the place to experience the true feel of Christmas! It's festive magic at its best! It's the kind of place that makes you dream of holiday magic all over again!

I was so glad I visited the Langley Glow Gardens for the Christmas displays. The Christmas light…read moresculptures were all extraordinary to look at; every single one of them. There were some displays where you can interact with the lighting decorations or animatronics if you have one of those magic wands they sell. I walked through the sceneries more than once when I was there just because they are so gorgeous to look at. There is also a live concert, food trucks, a market section sponsored by other businesses, and an indoor train ride, which I had the pleasure of riding in. I highly recommend going to the Glow Gardens before Christmas is over.

A Renaissance market town at faire time, in the gorgeous summer of British Columbia -- how awesome…read moreis that! There are so many activities and features for the family to enjoy -- jousting to watch, children's games, fairies flitting around, jugglers, magicians, falconry, wandering minstrels, dancers, and all set around a total-immersion audience-participation all-day theater. Each year the plot progresses, and yet each year stands alone, entertaining and historically informative, with drama, intricate sword fights, royals and commoners, pirates and naval officers, Scotsmen and Spaniards. The enthusiastic and delightful crew of performers and musicians really make this experience special -- our family has been going to this Faire for years, and we love it! I'm particularly fond of gift shopping there with all of the amazing handcrafted items available -- I even get some gorgeous clothing items there. Also, this is one of the few places in Canada where one can hear authentic British Isles popular music from hundreds of years ago -- while drinking mead :-) The BC Renaissance Festival is truly a treasure -- long may the revelry continue!

From the owner: BCRF arose from a desire to provide an opportunity for talented performers and artisans to showcase…read moretheir historically based / inspired skills and entertain the public in a historically themed setting. We strive to provide entertainment combined with education to all ages in a safe space, producing an encompassing experience. Parents have praised us for our games and rides area as well as our safety factors around the horses and potential risks. Adults and children alike have enjoyed the fulfilling day at the faire. We are bringing World history to life within the comforts of the Modern Age. We are not confined to just the English Renaissance. 'Renfests' all over North America have features and entertainment relating to Folklore (elves, dwarves, dragons, unicorns, etc.), Viking, Asian, European Cultures, Victorian (both realistic and fiction-steampunk), Pirates, and much more. Vendors can not only be influenced by history but also fantasy, fiction, culture or myth. Time period inspired products and entertainment can reach back as far as the stone age and as modern as Victorian. GOOD NEWS!! Jousting is back - Check the webpage for more news and look for the gofundme titled Historicalhorses NOTE: We have changed our dates and location. Please see the webpage for more information.

As a vendor trying to be a part of this festival I'm horribly dismayed at how I was treated last…read moreyear, I was asked not to attend after payment had been made as they recieved an anonymous email accusing me of disgusting atrocities and without verification I was asked not to attend so that there would be no conflict. It was a false accusation with no bearing at all and when we expressed emotion about the disgusting lies we were told we were being pulled from the venue. The organiser of this event is imo absolutely disgusting for doing this and I will be very vocal about the abuse THEY caused ME. I hope with all my might that they crash and burn, not the vendors as they are all amazing but who organizes the event. I believe if we all stand by eachother during times like these, people like her who obviously only care about the bottom line (MONEY as they raised the price for vendors this year an exorbitant amount) can finally be held accountable.

Pretty cool little festival but WAY too cramped. There were thousands of people there but…read moreeverybody is jammed into a few blocks. We couldn't even get to some of the stalls because it was so busy. I wish they could spread it out a bit more. It would make browsing much easier. Close down another block or two and I bet it would make a world of difference. Fruit, candles, breads, crafts - pretty much a typical farmers market with a cranberry theme. There was some great musicians playing by the main hall and throughout the main drag. Parking nearby was a disaster but we found a great hidden parking area up near 88th. A bit of a walk but you don't get stuck in traffic. Is it worth it? I like local events but Nah - it's just another farmers market. Come to Fort Langley any Saturday for the farmers market at the church. It's the same just smaller.

When my wife and baby arrived, our first experience was a group of volunteers who were trying to…read moresell their used wristbands to unsuspecting patrons. There weren't as many food choices as we hoped and many didn't look overly appealing. We opted for the Ukrainian and we're disappointed. The cabbage rolls were pretty much stuffed with all rice and the perogies were bland and tasteless; not to mention expensive. The exhibits were tents with facts and info on each country in Europe and some had items for sale. We likely wouldn't go again. We didn't get much out of it.

great event for families live stage performances, local…read moreartists and artisans, beer garden, workshops

I've now lived in Vancouver for 2.5 years, and I've attended this holiday festival/market three…read moretimes. My friend and I have an annual tradition of going to this Circle Craft event (as well as the Make-It festival, held at the PNE); for us, it's a great way to welcome in the holiday period and, also, to soak up the creative energy here in the city. We really like how they feature a diverse array of local artisans: jewelry makers, knitters and clothiers, art pieces, ornaments, skin care and beauty products, glasswork, woodwork, metalwork, toymakers, fashion accessories, pet items, baby and kid stuff, and a ton of amazing gourmet foods - chocolates, honey, spices, drink syrups, bakery goods, oils and vinegars, and everything in between, from soups to nuts (literally!). It's a fabulous way to get one's holiday shopping done and to support local artisans and small businesses, too. And for my friend and me, we enjoy getting inspiration from the creativity in products and marketing out there. Some years this Christmas market is better than others, as there are more vendors at times, or more contemporary or unique artisans some years. This year, for example, we found this event to be way better than last year (and it was pretty good last year! Hence, we returned!). For some reason, this year there were a ton more artisans that catered to our personal aesthetic. This is totally subjective, of course, but we visited last night (got a 1/2 price ticket to attend after 5pm. Note the event runs to 9pm in the evenings), and we liked so many artisans that we only made it halfway through the convention hall. (This has never happened before!). Luckily, you are able to get a "free re-entry pass", so we can come back again and not have to pay entry. Bonus! (I plan to return tomorrow, to see the rest of the exhibits). I see one reviewer noted that you cannot take photos here. That's not totally true. Some vendors encourage you to take photos; just ask them first! (One artisan who makes amazing handbags and purses out of rubber tires suggested we take some pictures of the items we like, to give to "Santa" for our wish list, with a photo of his booth, too, so family members can find him the following day). I think it's reasonable that some artisans prefer their work not be photographed for fear of others duplicating their unique creations. Again, it's common courtesy to ask before taking pictures of other people's homemade works. We love how most of the food venders dole out samples of their treats! It's like a gourmet Costco here! We sampled some of the most delicious cakes and fudge and nuts and beverages. Of course, this is great marketing, as we ended up purchasing a lot too. There is a coat check available ($3), and there's always a raffle to win a huge prize (remember to fill out the raffle form and put it in the big lucite box by the exit door). My only gripes? The waiting area outside the convention hall is huge and cavernous and many of us are always waiting for our friends to arrive - but in total there are two tiny benches to sit at, at the far end of the hall (by the washrooms), each able to accommodate two people. For such a huge space, they really need to get more seating. Many of us were standing quite a while, waiting on friends - and some of those standing were elderly people. Not cool. Also, the have a food area in the rear of the convention, where we usually get a light bite. The dining options are scant, with few meals to choose from, and all are mediocre at best, and very much over-priced. And the seating areas have always been dirty when we've eaten here, with food crumbs all over the long tables and chairs, and napkins left on tables and spills on the floors. This area really needs to be cleaned up more. (At least they provide free cold drinking water in the center. Look for the water coolers and disposable cups).

This is my first time at the Circle Craft Christmas Market. Its quite interesting. But You also…read morehave to be really into craft to really love this place. Funny enough, I loved the food section. Guess that explains it all what kind of person I am. You would end up spending hours here. I mean eventhough I am not artsy and didn't spend money on buying their craft work. I did end up spending 3 hours there. As a tip, go online and get their after 5pm admission ticket, its half price and if you google, you will find a $1 off coupon. So admission becomes $6. Also before you leave, remember to grab a reentry ticket. You might need to come back to grab a few more things (like from their food section) I enjoyed being at the Christmas Market.

lamb was very dry and cold i order 1kg , lots of bone ,…read morelittle meat wasting time and money

I stopped by during the first day of the festival. Parking was a little bit challenging. We parked…read morein the neighbourhood and walked a short distance over in the rain. I was expecting a few more booths. There was basically four areas - food, bar, bakery and souvenirs/Greek themed items. We ordered a gyro, calamari, chicken souvlaki plate and loukoumades. Food prices seemed reflective of regular restaurant pricing. The food was pretty good flavour wise although I found the chicken souvlaki and gyro to be barely warm and borderline on the cold ambient air temperature side (for the beef and lamb slices) for my gyro. They really should increase the food warmer temperatures. The highlight was the calamari which was made to order and the loukoumades which also happened to be a fresh batch. There was Greek dancing and plenty of seating during the Friday evening. Cash or debit only for payment. It is something worth checking out if you are looking for some cultural experience or foodie adventure.

Hmm I think this might be overrated. The long line up is misleading, think that this place is…read morebetter than it actually is. My boyfriend and I waited for exactly 2h before our turn to enter the devil's descent haunted house. I liked that there was music but very limited option of hard rock or edm. The characters walk around to help keep up the haunted/scary mood but it didn't work for me. What I liked best was that they space out each group so that you get a more authentic experience of walking through a haunted house with just you and your buddies. For the extremely long wait time, I would not go again.

I was told I screamed the loudest…read more Turns out, when terrified I use my friends as human shields, cling to their jackets with my sharp grip while demanding "DON'T LEAVE ME!" but when they lose their purse I do stay with them to get it back from the creepy hooded figure so we can hold hands together and run past. So I'm not the worst friend ever. This is the ONLY thing to do in Surrey on a Sunday night apparently. We originally rented a car an ventured from Vancouver (with Dave S, Nicole F, and our buddy) and were out to find a corn maze, but when both corn mazes AND a haunted barn were closed (what the hell) we decided to have some drinks at Chuck E Cheese where this lovely redhead girl told us about another haunted house. And her advice was sound. I knew we could trust her after she gave us a blow-up crown and a Spiderman Balloon. We were already pretty stoked when a giant pumpkin head anamatronic popped up and sang us a Halloween song to the tune of Eminem's "Lose Yourself (yes, it is as awesome as it sounds) and it just gets better from there. Completely terrifying. Loved it. Note that this is only open Oct. 12th - 31st, 6pm - 10pm (but 6pm-7pm is "family hour" which probably means less scary and useless.)

I have been to a lot of outdoor events such as food truck festivals, Craft market, Italian Day,…read moreFusion events and etc. This one is definitely not wow. No fancy concerts here. They have low cost performances. No beer garden here either. This is basically a city event put up to teach kids to recycle. Its not wow. Food trucks were ok but not as much as say the Columbia Street festival. I would say 80% of the stalls are put up by the City of Richmond. I guess its great for kids. But for grown up not really. I also think its due to the demographic of Richmond. Maybe Richmond has more young families and Asian so this event tends to be tailored to them. If I haven't gone to so many outdoor festivals this year, I probably would have enjoyed this one. There are limited parking here and one option was to risk getting your car towed by parking inside of Richmond Center. The event is free and yes the ice rink is also open to the public for free that day (ice rink is owned by the City of Richmond). It was ok but I guess my interest is not to learn about recycling at 10+ different stalls.

Went last year but this years Fest knocked it out of the ball park!…read more Lots of food options & great entertainment from Kunda Africa band as well as Tokyo Police Club! Lots of food trucks & great food sampling at the culinary stage. Fun for the whole family & friends. For some reason this festival only runs on Friday & Saturday - on a long weekend ... why organizers!?? Tried the Pad Thai chicken dish from the Thai Box on Truck food truck - it took awhile to serve us - they were extremely busy - it was well worth the 20 minute wait! Pressure will be on for next years event to be just as good if not better - good luck organizers!