By Gina Gallucci-White
Instead of driving around random neighborhoods trying to find some impressive festive light displays, head to Enchant Christmas, with two East Coast locations: in Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, Fla.
This annual winter wonderland display features millions of lights strung to create tunnels leading to presents, trees, ornaments and a number of other creations. Favorite holiday tunes add magic to the festivities.
The main attraction at Enchant Christmas is the dazzling light maze adventure. Eddie the elf has lost eight special toys in this maze and he needs guests’ help to find them. As you meander around lights featuring a multitude of colors be on the lookout for a plane, dinosaur, train, bear, pony, ballerina, duck and cube. Each one is large, so they are difficult to miss, but they are spread throughout the maze.
Enchant D.C., is located inside Nationals Park, normally home to Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals. Enchant Florida is located inside Tropicana Field, normally home to MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.
It is neat to be inside a facility so uniquely tied to summer during the winter months. (A floor has been placed over the field so you don’t need to worry about tripping over the pitcher’s mound.)
Buy your tickets before you arrive and you’ll have the opportunity to add on several experiences, including ice skating through an illuminated trail and having a professional photographer capture the trip for your family. (Tip: you will definitely want to pay for parking in advance, as it costs more onsite.)
If you’ve got young children in your party, don’t leave without a stop at the Little Ones’ Play Place, with crafts, toys, and special story times by Mrs. Claus. There is also an opportunity to meet Santa, so have your wish list ready to go.
If you get hungry, some of the vendors that are open during the baseball season are available. For those looking to get a little shopping done, the Enchant market features artisan vendors selling a variety of items.
Enchant Christmas is open daily through Jan. 2.
