VanDusen Glow in the Garden

Glow in the Garden was a family-friendly October event that featured carved pumpkins, glowing lights and Halloween fun at Vancouver’s VanDusen Garden.

In 2019 the attraction had a story theme involving an owl, a hummingbird, magical spells and a journey through the garden. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. It hasn’t happened again since. That being said, since 2022, VanDusen has a new special event to celebrate the autumn season.

Instead of Glow in the Garden, the venue has a Harvest Days event with family friendly activities during the day. There’s live entertainment and harvest-themed things for kids to do. In 2023 Harvest Days happens on October 7th, 8th, 9th 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 28th & 29th.

To learn more about the autumn-themed event happening in October 2023, see our article about Harvest Days or visit VanDusen Botanical Garden‘s events page. To learn about the Halloween Glow in the Garden in the past, continue reading.

Harvest Days at VanDusen Garden — Harvest Days in 2022

VanDusen Glow in the Garden and Harvest Days

Taking place at VanDusen Botanical Garden in the last half of October most years, VanDusen Glow in the Garden was arguably one of the region’s best Halloween attractions for young children and overly-timid folk. It was also wonderful for folk of all ages!

At the event there was a skeleton or two scattered around the place, but far less scary stuff than almost any other spooky event in town. This made it especially popular for young families and tiny folk with nervous dispositions.

The theme in 2018 was Hänsel and Gretel, so there was a witch, but again no mummies, zombies or other really freaky stuff. In 2019 the theme involved an owl, Anna the Hummingbird and her companions going on an adventure through the gardens. Guests could follow the story, enjoy the lights and collect Halloween treats as they made their way along the trails.

Glow in the Garden was cancelled in 2020 and 2021. However, a different event takes place in autumn now. Since 2022, Harvest Days takes place most weekends in October.

Event Location

Glow in the Garden and Harvest Days both take place in Vancouver at VanDusen Botanical Garden which is located at 5251 Oak Street with the entrance to parking just off West 37th Avenue. The parking lot isn’t huge though, especially for special events of this size, and so many people find parking somewhere else along the street.

Glow in the Garden Light Display — Glow in the Garden 2019

Times and Dates

Instead of hosting Glow in the Garden this year, VanDusen has a fall-themed event called Harvest Days. The event opens on October 7th in 2023 and runs on weekends for the rest of the month. It’s also open on Monday, October 9th, and Friday, October 20th. The activities run from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm each day.

VanDusen Pumplin Spider Display — A previous year’s display of hand-carved Jack-o-lanterns

Admission Fees

Online prices to attend the Harvest Days event in 2023 are the following:

Adults (ages 19 to 64) – $12.30
Seniors (ages 65+) – $8.60
Youth (ages 13 to 18) – $8.60
VanDusen Garden Members – Free
Children (ages 5 to 12) – $6.15
Tots & Infants (ages 4 and under) – Free

VanDusen Owl Jack-o-'Lantern — A 2019 Owl Jack-o-‘Lantern Display

What to Expect

In 2023 the Harvest Days event features areas for photos and fall-themed arts and crafts. There are also food trucks and live performances for all to enjoy. Performers this year include the Lonesome Town Painters, Soda Crackers and No Frills Stringband.

When Glow in the Garden returns in the future, expect to see young families with small children in costumes, dozens of amazingly-carved Jack-o-lanterns, and lit up pathways through the trees. There is also usually fun spooky Disney-kind-of music and moaning sounds, crafts for children, pumpkins, festival foods and apple cider for sale.

The highlight of VanDusen Glow in the Garden is all the many beautifully hand-carved Jack-o-lanterns by award-winning master carvers. There seemed to be fewer of them in 2019 than in previous years, but still a good number. Accompanying the various displays of artwork are illuminations among the trees, kid-friendly music and colourful lights and pumpkins lining the trails.

At VanDusen Glow in the Garden in 2018 one half of the venue had displays featuring scenes from the Hänsel and Gretel story made popular years ago by the Brothers Grimm. The other half of the venue was full of pumpkins and other Halloween-ish scenes. In 2019 there were illuminations all around and a selection of pumpkins on display in different places.

Inflatable Halloween Ghost Characters — Inflatable Ghost Characters Display in 2018

VanDusen Halloween Themes Past and Present

Glow in the Garden celebrated its fourth anniversary in 2019 at VanDusen Garden. In its first year the place was full of intricately carved Jack-o-lanterns and the occasional skeleton. In 2017, there was an Alice-in-Wonderland theme with the White Rabbit, Alice, the Queen of Hearts and other Lewis Carol characters. In 2018 the theme was Hänsel and Gretel.

At the Alice in Wonderland-themed event there were Christmas-style lights in the trees as well as Jack-o-lanterns placed on wooden cut-out bodies and intricately carved as the heads of Alice-in-Wonderland characters. If you looked closely you’d see that the glowing faces were actually real pumpkins! They were amazing!

One thing we really liked about the 2018 event was the story and the fact that it was all written out along the trails at VanDusen Garden. While you wandered the Hänsel and Gretel half of the attraction you could read the story along the way (which was especially nice if you had never heard it before).

In 2019 the event’s theme involved an owl, hummingbird and magic. It wasn’t as well-known a story as in previous years, but still nice for kids.

Hansel and Gretel Characters at VanDusen — Hänsel and Grete in 2018

How Big is the Attraction?

VanDusen Glow in the Garden is a large event, but not huge. It’s pretty big, but not quite on the scale of VanDusen’s Festival of Lights at Christmas time (which is also exceptional).

The Halloween attraction actually only takes up a fraction of the entire VanDusen property – just the area in and around the Visitor Centre and a few acres between Livingstone Lake and the Rose Garden. It’s not a massive area, but a respectable size for little children. It’s also a fair bit larger today than what it was in its initial couple of years.

Expect to stay at the event anywhere between 30 minutes and a couple of hours. If you rush you can see it all in half an hour. If you go slowly, admire all the decorations closely, and do some of the craft activities, you can be there for up to a couple of hours or even more.

Glow in the Garden Pumpkin Face

Tips and Tricks

Below are suggestions on how to make the most of your trip if and when Glow in the Garden returns.

TIP #1: Go in costume so you and your kids can take part in the free craft activities and have even more fun! If you don’t want to wear a costume, however, you don’t have to.

TIP #2: Unless you or your children are seriously afraid of the dark, don’t go before 6:30 pm at the earliest – the attraction and its glow are best seen at night.

TIP #3: Although the attraction is better later in the evening, if you go early and find you’re hungry it’s good to know that the Shaughnessy Restaurant just outside has Happy Hour with discounted drinks and appetizers Monday to Friday from 3 until 5 pm. There are also food vendors on site at the event.

TIP #4: The closer the date to Halloween and the better the weather, the more crowded VanDusen Glow in the Garden is going to be, and the more likely the event will sell out. Don’t like crowds? Then go on a rainy day and before the Halloween weekend.

TIP #5: The event sells out on some nights, including on the weekend just before Halloween. Book in advance to avoid disappointment!

TIP #6: In past years at least, there are usually tickets still available at the gate after online tickets have all sold out. Those too though also eventually sell out. To avoid disappointment and unnecessary waits in line, reserve your spot well in advance!