By Khaula Siddique

I love lights. I mean like I really am obsessed with them, so when I heard about Illumi in the summer Ive been desperately waiting to go see it! It did not disappoint! Spread over 600 000 square feet with more than 20 million beautiful lights it is a serious loss if you miss this experience! Luckily I have zero compulsion to shop so I was more than happy to dole out the $25 or so the ticket came to. I believe in experiences, they are priceless. And an experience that is basically created by millions of fairy lights? Sign me up!

If you have kids, bundle them up in layers so you can stay out comfortably and really enjoy the experience at a slow pace. There are snacks and a heated tent where you can sit and have coffee or buy some souvenirs. I would suggest eating dinner before you leave and spending on the souvenirs rather than snacks. The souvenirs were pretty reasonable and who wouldnt want pretty lamps shaped like polar bears, deer, camels and more?

This “art of light” exhibition is brought to you by Cavalia, you remember the incredible show featuring the horses right? So glad they chose Mississauga again! Enjoy a walk through the best pumpkin patch ever, complete with skeletons and Micheal Jacksons Thriller playing. The path continues on through a beautifully lit tunnel, a Crazy Boulevard with everything from sporty installations to what seemed like Cinderellas glass slippers. There is also an animal kingdom, a little European town, a winter wonderland, a field of Cavalia horses and much more. My favourite was the magic lantern installation, complete with magical dragons and koi fish. I felt like a kid and could have stayed for hours. It was just such a happy place, a little therapy we all need!

I highly recommend this experience, it will be on till the beginning of January. You can find all the details on the website here. I took so many pictures it was ridiculous, however, the videos and pictures just dont do justice to the magic atmosphere created by all the lights. Heres a fun little video to give you some more motivation to visit: Illumi Visit 

About the Author

Khaula Siddique, artist at Khaula’s Art, has written for Dawn Pakistan and now paints stories on large walls. She loves bringing art to the community and achieves this through interactive art activities and public art projects. When she is not painting, she is over-indulging her large eccentric orange tabby who part-times as her critic and her muse. You can find her art shenanigans on her website, Khaula Siddique.com.