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For Festive Lights and Plenty of Garden Green, head to BC

If conjuring the Christmas spirit is nothing short of an illuminating experience, let BC light up the season with a sea of sparkling settings.  Where to start?  Head for Vancouver Island, where gardens are always green.  Friday through Sunday in December leading up to Christmas, Milner Christmas Magic in Qualicum Beach showcases old growth Douglas firs and cedars adorned with twinkles, musical musings from local artists and sweet treats in the tearoom.  Further south in Ladysmith, 100,000 shimmering lights brighten more than just the streets this season (a Light Up Ceremony, November 27, pledges entertainment, fireworks and a visit from St. Nick).  On the mainland, climb aboard the holiday train during Bright Nights in Stanley Park, a fundraiser for the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, November 28 - January 3 (closed Christmas Day).  Wind your way through the forest and the children’s farmyard amid animated displays and the glow of one million lights, the scent of roasted chestnuts and the promise of hot chocolate in the air.  For seasonal displays and 1.4 million twinkles, check out the winter wonderland December 5 – January 4 (Closed Christmas Day) during the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden.  (For would-be crooners, the Karaoke Christmas Lights Trolley Tour, provided by Vancouver Trolley December 12, 13 and 18 - 24, offers a musical journey to Stanley Park and VanDusen in one night, complete with tunes.  Cue Bing Crosby.)  I saw three ships…well, more like 80 during the Carol Ship Parade of Lights in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, December 1 – 23.  Throngs will be drawn to the shores to witness boats boasting the bling - over 150,000 sparkles - and even a chorus or two from over 45,000 singing voices.  For a little light in the wilds, head to the Thompson Okanagan region.  At the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops, it’s all about the synchronization of music, lights, magic, and family fireworks during their annual Wildlights Event.  Set to shine nightly December 12 - January 4 (closed Christmas Day), families can catch a wagon ride to the “North Pole” or hop on the Wildlife Express Miniature Train.  Plus there’s the opportunity to take in some 500,000 sparkles adding shimmer to 350 life-sized wildlife sculptures. Let it shine.  www.milnergardens.org; www.ladysmithfol.com; www.vancouverparks.ca; www.vandusengarden.org; www.vancouvertrolley.com; www.carolships.org; www.bczoo.org