Halloween Nights of Lights is a Fun Fall Experience!

Originally published October 7, 2022

We had the chance to go experience Halloween Nights of Lights last night and found the immersive walk-through Halloween experience to be exactly what we needed to celebrate both the Halloween season and Thanksgiving weekend!

The outside area of Sherway Gardens is completely transformed all month by the attraction, with more than more than 1.5 million LED and RGB lights animated and synchronized to Halloween tunes. During our visit, we grooved to peppy selections such as “Time Warp, “Thriller” and “Ghostbusters”.

Tunnels of lights and natural straw – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

When we arrived, my daughter and her friend were given a scratch-off card for the Quest to Save Halloween scavenger hunt, where they searched for cauldrons throughout the space. They were so proud of themselves for finding them all!

The girls found all of the clues! – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

Through the walk-through lit area, there are numerous different displays depicting Halloween and supernatural themes, such as aliens and spiders, which were my daughter’s favourites. There are also walk-through tunnels which visitors of last year’s drive-through exhibits may remember. I think it’s still a great idea to have these even now because it allows for social distancing as well as giving the immersive 360-degree experience.

A spider-themed tunnel with a multi-coloured lighting effect – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

Pumpkinville

As the Halloween Nights of Lights experience continued, the path of lights suddenly brought us to Pumpkinville, which has straw strewn on the ground to give the feeling that you’re on a farm. It made us forget we were at a mall! This fun fair is a new addition this year, and it definitely brings the autumnal atmosphere to the usual Halloween vibe. There are plenty of pumpkin-laden houses and set-ups for seasonal photo opportunities, but also to just hang out.

Chilling out in the “hay house” – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

We came on a family night, which means that there are fewer scary elements. However, there is a circus-themed tent available to visitors anytime that seemed a bit frightening, but it’s easy for young ones to bypass. We were most excited to find out that this was also a dog-friendly evening — it was so adorable to see families’ furry friends trotting along the path, some even dressed in costume! There were just as many dog-and-parent photo shoots happening around the grounds as there were families of young children.

Time for a puppy photo op – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

Inevitably, the girls were happy to find the costumed helpers giving out candy in the Trick or Treat Lane among the Pumpkinville displays, which gave them plenty of energy to jump around the hay bales and go on amusement rides.

Hooray for candy! – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

All that walking (plus running and jumping for the girls) made us hungry so we treated ourselves to drinks and delicious churros in the outdoor food area. There is an enclosed tent where families can eat and decorate pumpkins, but it was such a beautiful night out that we just sidled up to an outdoor standing table to take in the scene. We’ll definitely be back next year!

Grab a treat from the outdoor food trucks and stay awhile – Photo credit: Melissa Mohaupt

Discount code:

Family Fun Toronto readers get a SPECIAL HALLOWEEN TREAT! Receive 15% off tickets with the discount code FAMFUN. Redeem your promo code here!