MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Winter 2019

28 ML BLUE WINTER 2019 UP FRONT Add the Blumination Dream Trail to the list of magical reasons to visit the Blue Mountain Village this winter. With over a million lights incorporated into artful and interactive displays along a one-kilometre trail circling the Mill Pond, Blumination not only needs to be seen, it needs to be experienced. Festive light displays are popular these days, but the Blue Mountain Village Association teamed up with local Collingwood production company Smash Reality, Inc. to create something unique. By building on the yearly light displays put up by the Landmark Group and adding the creative genius of Smash Reality, Blumination is interactive and amazing and, as an added bonus, free of charge to visit. “People have come to know and love the lights that we do every year,” explains Meghan Harwood, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the Blue Mountain Village Association. “People loved it so much that we thought we’d step it up this year. Patti Kendall and Andrew Siegwart met the folks from Smash Reality at the Collingwood Elvis Festival. They did an installation there called “Fit to be King—Elvis Yourselvis”. It was another very interactive installation. When they saw that, they had Smash pitch some ideas for what they could do with the trail.We loved it so we decided to work with them to add all the interactive elements to the trail.” The Blumination Dream Trail kicked off December 1 and runs into January. The lights are lit from 5pm to 10 pm. with nightly musically-choreographed light shows in the Events Plaza at 6, 7, 8 and 9pm. Fireworks add to the excitement on Saturdays at 8pm. You can also take a horse and wagon ride through the village or savour some maple taffy on snow. Didn’t make it to Blue over Christmas? Don’t fear. The main installations of the Dream Trail will remain up for the season—only the hourly light shows conclude on January 6. Pick up your free map of the Blumination Dream Trail at the Visitor’s Centre and then let your imagination run wild as you visit the various installations. Take a family photo at Blue Reflections, navigate the LED tunnel at Mind Warp and take charge of the colour-changing flowers at Sweet Dreams Await. Check out blumination.ca or get a closer look by searching the hashtag #blumination. —Allison Kennedy Davies FINDING BLUMINATION One million lights bring this interactive trail to life at the base of Blue ALLISON KENNEDY DAVIES