The holidays are a magical time for taking an evening walk. If you’re going to be in Victoria this year, then make sure you take a stroll through the beautiful light displays at Butchart Gardens.

Butchart Gardens is a magical and beautiful place year-round, but they really kick it up a notch for the holiday season with a collection of annual festivities known as the “Magic of Christmas.” Throughout December and until January 6th, the Butchart Gardens will be aglow with thousands of lights and full of fun family activities. Traditional carollers and the Festive Brass perform for visitors under the night sky.

Admission to the Butchart Gardens during the Magic of Christmas season is $27 for adults 18 years of age and over, $13.50 for youth ages 13 to 17, $3 for children ages five to 12, and free for children under five! Your ticket will grant you access to all of the gardens.

It takes two months for the Butchart Gardens to truly prepare for and finish setting up their annual Christmas display, which is known as The Twelve Days of Christmas and modelled after the traditional English Christmas carol. At the admissions gate, children under the age of 12 can receive a “Magic of Christmas Walk” list on which they can identify each of the 12 displays. Once they are finished, they can present the list at the Visitor Centre to receive a special treat!

One of the main highlights of the Magic of Christmas is the Waterwheel Square ice skating rink. The 5,000 sq. ft. outdoor rink is open daily during admission hours. Admission rates are $5 for adults, $4 for youth, and $3 for children 12 and under. Don’t have skates? Not a problem! You can rent a pair for just $3. Skate times run for 40 minutes and begin every hour, on the hour.

Once you’re finished walking around and skating, you can go for some hot chocolate and tasty treats at the nearby Coffee Shop. Don’t forget that children 12 years old and younger can receive a free hot chocolate from the Coffee Shop by trading in a homemade, hand-crafted paper snowflake cut from an 8 x 11 sheet of white paper. If you’re hungry for a full meal, then you can head over to the family-friendly Blue Poppy Restaurant. For a more formal dining experience, plan a visit to The Dining Room Restaurant to enjoy a special Magic of Christmas Menu.

Christmas might only come once a year, but the Butchart Gardens spend the whole year preparing for the next Magic of Christmas by updating, refurbishing, and maintaining all of their festive displays. In essence, there is something Christmas-y going on at the Butchart Gardens almost every day!

If you want to try something new with your family for Christmas this year, then a trip to the Butchart Gardens is in order. You can spend several hours enjoying the lights, music, activities, and delicious food that Butchart Garden’s Magic of Christmas has to offer.