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Immersive, drive-thru holiday light show coming to Victoria

‘Victoria Wonderland’ runs from Dec. 7 to Dec. 31
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A rendering of Victoria Wonderland, a drive-thru immersive holiday experience coming to the Breakwater District at Ogden Point. (Courtesy of Transcend Victoria)

COVID-19 hasn’t cancelled the holiday spirit in Victoria – at least not completely.

Victoria Wonderland is coming to the Breakwater District at Ogden Point. The contact-less, drive-thru holiday experience offers 25 minutes immersed in an “electric extravaganza.”

Created by Sigma-1 Productions and Transcend Victoria in association with the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, the event requires reservations and offers add-ons of 3D glasses and gift bags.

Transcend Victoria co-founder Nicole Sorochan said the response to the event has been overwhelming. Within hours of tickets going on sale Wednesday morning the server was nearly crashed by website traffic.

“We were getting up to one thousand hits per minute,” she said. “We’re definitely very excited. It’s been overwhelming.”

Transcend Victoria, an entertainment company established in 2019, focuses on creating human-centered, interactive and immersive experiences by working with artists and technicians.

The concept of the company, Sorochan said, is to create moments of exploration and connection. The company’s first big event was cancelled by COVID-19, but the holidays presented a new opportunity.

READ ALSO: Christmas will be different even if Santa is ‘probably’ immune to COVID, says B.C. top doctor

Inside the terminal at Ogden Point, a series of holiday-themed experiences will greet event-goers as they drive through at about five km/h. Participants stay inside their vehicles, eliminating outside contact.

“We’re excited to launch our first experience here in a safe way in a time when people need their spirits lifted,” Sorochan said.

Graham Meckling of Sigma-1 Productions says the event is filling a gap left by COVID-19 cancellations.

“With virtually all of Victoria’s favorite traditional holiday events and gatherings being cancelled this year due to the pandemic, we wanted to present a unique opportunity to bring a completely safe, and truly spectacular gift of hope and joy to the City of Victoria,” Meckling said in a statement. “Guests drive through an electric extravaganza, they will be presented with thousands of lights and immersive visuals, invoking feelings of holiday togetherness and cheer.”

The show runs from Dec. 7 to Dec. 31 offering seven shows a day and 50 cars per show at a flat rate of $40 per vehicle on weekdays and $50 per vehicle on weekends. A portion of proceeds benefit local charities and ticket-buyers have the option to spend an additional $10 to buy a thermal layer for a community member in need.

Tickets and add-ons are purchased online at VictoriaWonderland.com.

READ ALSO: Ho, ho, no: Experts advise preparing for a scaled-back COVID holiday season


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