Huge festival of lights returns for the Halloween season in Mississauga

After a brief hiatus, Mississauga’s huge and popular festival of lights is back in town — and it’s bringing with it a spooky army of ghouls, witches, monsters, pumpkins and ghosts.

The renowned illumi–A Dazzling World of Lights, which enjoyed a successful initial run in Mississauga from late 2022 until this past January when financial issues forced it to cancel its summer 2024 schedule, returns with a Halloween theme starting Oct. 3.

The third annual Spooky at Illumi program will continue into early November, with all the scary characters occupying several of the attraction’s “universes” at its massive north Mississauga site at Hurontario Street and Highway 407.

The Halloween show attracted some 100,000 visitors of all ages last year and organizers hope for a similar turnout this fall.

“Visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in classic autumn and Halloween scenes backed by soundtracks taken from iconic horror films that will undoubtedly give them thrills and chills,” illumi officials said in a news release issued Tuesday. “Awaiting guests at the experience are playful black lights and lasers, whimsical jack-o-lanterns, hundreds of scarlet spiders and a host of neon skeletons, glowing ghouls, witches and monsters.”

(Photos: illumi)

Normand Latourelle, founder and creator of illumi, said the annual Spooky at Illumi show “has become a much-anticipated Halloween tradition for many friends and families across the GTA, be it for date night, family night and even for team-bonding among coworkers.”

He added the company’s creative team has added two new “universes” for visitors to enjoy “in this breathtaking outdoor journey.” In total, the attraction runs 16 themed “universes.”

The attraction will also once again host its annual “Doggie Night” on Oct. 16, an evening when visitors in costume can bring along their four-legged friends, also in costume.

Tickets are now on sale. Visit illumi’s website for more information.

Following the Halloween event, illumi officials said the attraction plans to stay in town for a holiday-season schedule that’ll conclude next Jan. 13.

The illumi attraction is set up on a 600,000-sq.-ft. site — the equivalent of 10 football fields — at 7174 Derrycrest Dr.

Scheduled to come to Mississauga on several occasions since late 2021, the illumi festival of lights finally opened in the city on Sept. 14, 2022.

The huge lights festival features more than 20 million LED lights and welcomes people of all ages to embark nearly year-round on adventures in a series of “universes” offering various themes.