The Winter Light Festival has officially launched its tenth annual edition, bringing light displays throughout the winter months.
The festival transforms a traditional Japanese-style garden space with over 170,000 electric lights, covering paths and bridges as well as three tunnels, pyramids and giant parasols. The lights will use patterns and colours to create a unique visual experience. Visitors can also take a ride on a traditional horse-drawn wagon around the festival area, around Henderson Lake and through the nearby woods.
This year will commemorate a decade of the winter festival, which has gained national recognition, by honouring the cultural links between Alberta and the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. New structures and expanded displays will demonstrate this cultural exchange. The display changes every year, with special events to help surprise returning visitors.
The Winter Lights festival will include four areas themed after the four seasons and how they are celebrated in both Canada and Japan. Visitors are encouraged to dress warmly, bring cameras and enjoy food, drinks and other products from local vendors. Light displays like this are a popular attraction on winter nights, often using flyer printing and other local advertising to help bring in spectators.
The 10th annual Winter Light Festival officially opened for visitors on November 29, 2025, and will run until February 28, 2026 at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden in Lethbridge.
