What has become the unofficial start of the year-ending holiday season in Kamloops, the 2025 edition of Wildlights at the BC Wildlife Park in east Kamloops is set to open its gates on Friday.

The Park’s leadership is promising a “bigger” and “brighter” holiday campaign to close out the year.

“We haven’t done a count in a while, but we’re well over a million lights right now,” said BC Wildlife Park General Manager Glen Grant in conversation with Radio NL ahead of opening night.

“There’s a few areas that we’ve brought back… Some people might remember the Transformer scene from our old Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo,” hinted Grant.   “That’s been redone, re-roped, and it’s really bright.”

Grant says those who took in the dazzling light show last year should notice a number of new additions to the existing displays, including an expanded scene that might resonate more with parents or grandparents.

“If you saw Fred Flintstone and his car last year, we’ve added Barney and Betty and Wilma,” said Grant, in reference to the iconic Hanna-Barbara cartoon which ran as a prime-time sitcom from 1960 to 1966.

“Hop in Fred’s car and have a picture,” added Grant.

Train Tunnel gains new addition

The popular illuminated tunnel — a favorite photo spot for families — is back in its full red-and-white Christmas theme, stretching several hundred feet along the Park’s back route.

This year, there will be a companion, second tunnel for those who want to snap some different pictures.

“It’s a great feature,” said Grant, noting that the second tunnel has been added over the train tracks near the station.

The Wildlife Express operates nightly during Wildlights.

“Bring a loonie for the train,” Grant said with a laugh, noting there are no ‘plastic pay’ options available.

“It’s cash only,” remined Grant.

The Wildlife Express is similar in design to Vancouver’s Stanley Park train, which earlier this year was shut down on a semi-permanent basis due to an inability of the Vancouver Park Board to keep it maintained to safety standards.

Grant notes the BC Wildlife Park does not have those challenges.

“The train is operating every single night unless it gets colder than -15°C and the brakes freeze up,” noted Grant.

A Major Fundraiser for the Park

Wildlights remains the park’s most important annual event, both financially and for visitor attendance numbers.

“It gives us about 20 to 25 percent of our annual revenue as well as 20 to 25 percent of our annual attendance,” Grant explained. “That goes a long way to generating revenue for the slower, leaner months.”

“There’s still a lot of animals to feed and staff to pay and lights to keep on,” noted Grant.

With scaled-back winter hours following the holidays, the festival’s success helps the Park bridge the financial gap until daily operations resume in March.

Sensory-Friendly Night to open effort

This year marks the Park’s third partnership with the Canucks Autism Network for a sensory-friendly evening on opening night.

Grant says the Park reduces noise, shuts down any flashing or strobe effects and offers “quiet areas” and sensory kits for visitors who may need them.

“We want to make it fun and friendly for those that have some challenges to still get out and enjoy the Park,” he said.

Plenty of Animals to See

Even though the temperatures are starting to dip as we enter the winter months, many if the resident animals will be visible along the Wildlights route.

Grant says the big draw will likely be the two woodland caribou — often mistaken for reindeer — who will be fed in the late afternoon during the twilight hour at around 4:30pm to try to to keep them close to the early visitors.

Foxes, elk, and a collection of domestic animals are available for those who might want to warm up indoors while on the Wildlights tour.

Hours, Dates, and Visitor Tips

Wildlights runs from this Friday through January 4th, 2026.

It goes from twilight at around 4pm until 9pm each night, with the lights switching on at 5pm.

The annual event runs daily during the holidays, except for Christmas Day, December 25th.

Grant is encouraging people making advanced plans to attend to buy their tickets online and skip the entrance lineups, suggesting its more convenient, while also helping Park staff better manage the crowds at the gate.

“We’ll have a skip-the-line door… quickly scan your ticket and you’re off into the park,” he said.

While Grant suggests it would be optimal to have a gentle dusting of snow each night to enhance the festive atmosphere, he cautions visitors to be aware of the potential for icy nights.

“People do have to be careful,” noted Grant.   “There [is] the potential to be some slippery areas for sure,” he said.

Those catching some warmth inside can expect to see Uncle Chris the Clown entertaining children.

The Wildlights event has over a million separate lights illuminating the pathways around the animal rescue and sanctuary, with Grant suggesting the 2025 edition will be a memorable one.

“It’s going to be bright,” he said. “There will be a few new things — and it will be fun.”