6 ways to get the most out of Enchant

The world’s biggest light maze has been open in Vancouver since November 24, and it’s become a huge Christmas sensation.

Enchant features a 55,000 square foot light maze, complete with a Christmas tree with 85,000 LED lights and nine very large reindeer. It also has a Christmas market with 57 different vendors, 14 food trucks, and three licensed bars.

It’s a holiday extravaganza that people all over the Lower Mainland are trekking out to see, so if you haven’t gone yet, you’ll want to soon. Enchant Christmas is open until New Years Eve, and many days are at risk of selling out.

To help you get the most out of your Enchant visit, we’ve put together a list of six things you should keep in mind for your night out.

Dress for the weather

Welcome to winter Vancouver. We’ve finally got the snow and the freezing temperatures that marks winter in Canada, and before January hits we’re bound to get some more rain as well. Although the market and the eating areas are covered, the Enchant maze is completely outdoors, so you’ll want to dress warmly to make sure you can actually enjoy your holiday experience. If it’s raining, it’s highly recommended that you wear boots – although the maze has trails of crushed gravel, puddles can form during wet weather.

Take public transit

Enchant is extremely popular, and that means the traffic around the event is going to be bad. It can take as long as 30 minutes to get into the Enchant parking lot, and that’s time none of us want to spend in the car – we’d rather be out snapping Insta photos in the lights. To make your trip easier, take public transit. The Canada Line stops five minutes away at the Olympic Village Station, and hopping on bus route 15 makes for an easy commute in too.

Bring kids early

When you’re trying to control a little one, navigate the crowds, and enjoy the lights, no one has fun. So if you’re bringing a tiny person with you to Enchant, it’s best to do it for the opening at 4 pm. Attendance at Enchant peaks around 6 and 7 pm, so people with children will probably enjoy the experience a lot more if they come when the maze is mostly empty.

Buy tickets online

The last thing you want to do is battle traffic and pay for parking only to find out that Enchant is sold out for that night. By buying your tickets online, you can make sure you’ll have a ticket for the day you want to go. If you can’t make it on the day you bought your tickets, you can always exchange them – you just can’t exchange them on a day that’s already sold out.

Stay on the trails

This tip is for people in wheelchairs or families with strollers. Most of Enchant is covered in loose gravel, and there are some paths made of the more compact crushed gravel. If you’re using a wheelchair or stroller, you’ll definitely want to stay on the crushed gravel paths. If you don’t, you might find yourself stuck off the path.

Charge your battery

The last thing you want to do is find yourself in the perfect Instagram moment with no way to capture it. Making sure you charge your phone before you go, so you’ll be able to light up your social media feeds with all the holiday fun. Plus, if you tag your photos with the hashtag #EnchantVan on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll get a chance to be featured on the Enchant Facebook page.

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Enchant is located on 1st and Crowe Street, between Olympic Village and the Cambie Street Bridge. It’s designated for people of all ages so you can easily go with your friends or as a family.

Find more information about the event via the Enchant website. Stay in the know via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Enchant Christmas 2016

When: Most days from November 24 until New Year’s Eve

Time: 4 to 10 pm/4 to 8 pm on December 24

Where: 1st and Crowe Street, between the Cambie Street Bridge and Olympic Village

Tickets: Adults $19.95, kids $14.95 when you buy online. Gate prices are about $2 more per ticket

Daily Hive is a proud media sponsor of Enchant