Got a light? How about thousands? Turner Field this week turns into one of the brightest spots in town when Global Winter Wonderland Atlanta, a 16-acre lantern festival and fun park, opens there.

gwwWhat’s there to see? For starters, the Global Village with landmarks made of lanterns or LED lights. See the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Martin Luther King Jr.  monument (modeled after the one in Washington, D.C.), the Eiffel Tower, London’s Big Ben, the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sydney Opera House and various other beaming wonders of the world, some of which are more than 50 feet high. It took 60 people two months to put the spectacle together.

Also included in the theme park, which opens Nov. 21, is a Dinosaur Maze, Santa, shining snowmen and a towering Christmas tree lantern, plus midway rides (bumper cars, Tilt-A-Whirl), thrill rides, jugglers, fire artists and dancers. Entertainment, food and fashion from various cultures are featured every Sunday in December, as follows:

  • Dec. 1 — Latin Fiesta
  • Dec. 8 — Asian Heritage Fest
  • Dec. 15 — Black Family Celebration
  • Dec. 22 — Europa Extravaganza
  • Dec. 29 — Caribbean Carnival

Global Winter Wonderland is open 5-11 p.m. daily through Jan. 5. Single tickets: $16.99-$24.99. Season tickets: $28-$53. (To skip lines and save money, buy online and print your tickets at home.) Parking is $10. If you prefer MARTA, take the rail line to the Georgia State University station and walk south on Capital Avenue to Turner Field. Bus routes 32, 49 and 55 go directly to Turner Field from the Five Points Station.

Outside food, drinks, pets, skateboards, inline skates, bicycles, weapons and illegal substances are not allowed. Small backpacks, strollers and wheelchairs are. Note: All bags will be searched at the entrance gate and attendees must pass through metal detectors. Details HERE. Ho, ho, ho!

 

About Kathy Janich

Kathy Janich is a longtime arts journalist who has been seeing, working in or writing about the performing arts for most of her life. She's a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, Americans for the Arts and the National Arts Marketing Project. Full disclosure: She’s also an artistic associate at Synchronicity Theatre.

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