Viewing the Lights On Stratford is an experience you do not want to miss. This outdoor light event (5 pm – 10 pm) continues through December ending January 27, 2023, in the downtown core and at the Stratford Museum on Huron Ave in the Stratford west end. Carol Miller led 20 other Avon Trail hikers on a Lights On Stratford walk Monday night December 19. We headed to our starting point: Market Square in the downtown core to view and interact with the Pool. This installation by artist Jen Lewin is a field of 100 concentric circles, each swirling with light when touched by hand or foot.

From the Square, we walked along the Light Trail connecting Market Square to Tom Patterson Island. Along the way, we encountered the LightWall on the west facade of 70 Ontario Street. This light installation contains a series of 25′ tall LED pixel banners. Each banner projects its light out from the building with a display of colour and movement. Hikers spoke into the nearby microphones. Speech impacts the light display in real-time causing variations in the colour and mood.

Continuing on the Light Trail you come to the Tom Patterson Theatre. Its windows are lit with colours that reminded me of green and pink curtains like in the northern sky when the aurora borealis illuminates the heavens.

The Light Trail ends at Tom Patterson Island. Another massive light installation is on display. It too responds to touch, sending ribbons of coloured light up and down paths connecting molecule-like modules in a pattern intending to reflect nodes in a brain. The artwork is called Affinity. The more that people interact with the modules the brighter and more colourful these modules become.

In addition, another must-see is the illuminating light design installed at the Stratford Museum located on Huron Ave in the west end. Bruce Graham along with many other Avon Trail maintenance volunteers were major players in this lighting installation. It begins behind the museum and extends along the trail often used for walking and snowshoeing. It is truly magical.