The Town of Newmarket is permitting a new light show to come to Upper Canada Mall by waiving a few of its usual rules.
Ell’Events Inc. plans to bring Night of Lights to Newmarket for the first year. The event company has produced a family-friendly light show, starting as a drive-thru event before becoming a walk-thru. The event has also raised more than $500,000 for Epilepsy Toronto over the past four years.
According to its website, Holiday Nights of Lights is "an immersive walk-through experience like none other, re-imagined and featuring more than 1.5 million LED lights animated and synchronized to everyone's favourite holiday tunes ... Patrons will have the opportunity to experience walking through giant ornaments, animated tunnels, and much more. Upon exiting the light show, enter the market — filled with delicious food trucks and vendors — a nighttime hotspot all rolled into one distinct holiday tradition."
The company has held it for four years throughout the GTA but wants to come to Newmarket for the first time. It ran into some issues over the noise concerns and it falling into the town’s classification of a carnival, but council voted Nov. 18 to approve the event progressing regardless.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said he and Coun. Christina Bisanz had concerns about noise and disruption, but have worked through it with the proponent.
“Very decent level of comfort at this point,” Taylor said.
The event company has run both Halloween and holiday versions in Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Toronto dating back to 2020, with the shows involving more than one million lights.
This year, organizers sought to bring the show to the Upper Canada Mall area for the first time.
But it came into conflict with being classified as a carnival. Event organizer Olivera Pavlovic said they see the event as more of an art exhibit or interactive experience, but the addition of three carnival-style rotating rides that are a fraction of the total space of the event earned it that classification under the town's bylaw.
That meant that organizers missed the town’s bylaw 90-day advance requirement for a carnival event application, and ran up against a maximum five-consecutive day duration for a carnival set out in town bylaw.
Pavlovic said they must run consecutively for a week when families are off during the holidays.
“We’re only able to facilitate a couple thousand per day really, which is why we have a long run,” she said, adding that the production costs about $750,000. “The event is quite expensive … the reason why we need to spend so much time putting it together and for the long run.”
Organizers have promised the event stands to boost local tourism and engage the neighbourhood. It has also promised to distribute complimentary tickets to students and staff of Maple Leaf Public School with a special discount for families, and to households adjacent to the Upper Canada Mall parking lot and community housing on Emerson Way.
Bisanz said they have had conversations on the event and worked to find an appropriate spot in the Upper Canada Mall parking lot.
“The reality is the housing around Upper Canada Mall really is getting closer and closer,” she said. “At one time, Upper Canada Mall was in a situation where it didn’t really affect nearby residents … that’s changed very much, so I was quite concerned initially.
Bisanz further asked about the noise levels and the hours of the event.
But Pavlovic said they use low-volume music that is meant to provide more ambient music rather than a concert-like experience.
“You can easily talk over it,” Pavlovic said, adding they also intend to reduce hours to end at 10 p.m. as opposed to 11 p.m. to be less disruptive to the surrounding community.
Organizers said the event historically garners between 40,000 to 90,000 visitors.
“Your support will enable us to continue delivering an immersive, family-friendly experience that boosts local tourism, supports businesses, and raises critical funds for Epilepsy Toronto," Pavlovic said.
