A walking tour of the Fallsview tourism district first added to the Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights in 2016 has been recognized by Festival and Events Ontario.
Deck the Falls Holiday Walking Tour was named the recipient of the award for Best New Festival or Event. The WFOL also received two other awards as a Festival of Distinction and as a Top 100 Festival & Event.
“We’re so honoured that both the festival itself as well as our Deck the Falls Holiday Walking Tour have been recognized by such a prestigious organization,” said Tina Myers, executive director for WFOL. “The festival continues to grow rapidly, and we just experienced our biggest year yet, with more visitors than ever before. This year’s numbers are quite impressive,” she added.
The event was first introduced for the 2016 season during which five celebrity interior designers created holiday decor for five locations in the 13-stop tour.
The attraction proved to be a hit with visitors and was expanded for the second year, with more venues added. Patrons were invited to tour various locations offering a different holiday-themed activity. The activities include culinary and gourmet food sampling, holiday beverages, desserts, photo opportunities, life-sized games, live music and entertainment, craft workshops, ice sculptures and more.
WFOL has also released updated attendance numbers and economic impact from this past season.
A recent economic impact study estimates the festival had an impact of $56.4 million. The event grew to more than 1.65 million visitors compared to 1.33 million in 2016, representing a 24 per cent increase. As well, more than 76,000 vehicles enjoyed the WFOL’s displays in Dufferin Islands, an eight per cent increase over 2016.
Myers said plans are already underway for next year’s festival, with the hopes to outdo themselves and grow their numbers more.
“We literally spend 365 days a year to plan the event and need to be as proactive as possible to ensure growth and success,” she said.
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