In the early evening on September 20th and 21st something truly magical begins to happen at the CW Sportsplex Campgrounds in Fergus.
The area is transformed into the Enchanta Forest, a place where imagination reigns and the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Julia Zimmerman, along with her husband Chris are co-creators of Enchanta which brings the Enchanta Forest to life in the great outdoors. Julia says, “We do that with music, with magic, and with art that my husband Chris and his mother create. It’s a place where visitors meet their own imagination. The Enchanta Forest is as exciting as visitors allow their imaginations to take them.”
Visitors often dress up in fantasy costumes as they watch the performances and stroll through the illuminated art carving displays. Julia says, “It makes a wonderful backdrop for an enjoyable evening with family and friends. It’s a place where your imagination can bring make-believe to life.” It’s a family-friendly event with visitors dressed as wizards and animal characters.
Julia says, “Earlier in the evening we see a lot of families with children. Around 5pm when it’s still light outside there many activities for kids to enjoy, including a magic show.” A slightly more sinister side happens in the dark with witches and forest sprites roaming the forest.
Array of entertainment
One of the highlights of the evening is a performance by the Toronto String Quartet at 7pm. Julia says, “We usually time it so that the Toronto String Quartet is playing on stage while the sun is setting. When the Quartet’s performance is over and visitors turn around, they’re able to see The Forest at it’s prime.”
Also taking the stage during the evening with be the fairy folk band Lo and the Highroad and SHOUT! The Band, a 12-piece brass band that has been playing large venues across North America.
Elora Dance and Heart will be featuring pieces from their dance show “The Quest.” Julia says,
“It’s a performance that is curated for “The Forest” featuring mystical and enchanting characters that visitors meet while they’re walking through “The Forest.” The performance comes to life with its own stage, its own light, and it’s very beautiful.”
Illuminated Carvings
Chris Zimmerman is the talented artist behind each of the more than 30 handmade life-sized illuminated art carvings in the Enchanta Forest.
Julia says, “The illuminated carvings are a place where people love to stroll and take pictures because they’re interesting and fun to look at. My husband creates art year-round for the show and I’m working on the operations side. It’s something we love to do.”
Shopping, Sipping Beverages & Sampling Food
Over 40 local artisan and mystical vendors will be at Enchanta in Fergus, featuring themed food and drink options.
Julia says, “The vendors do have a lot of fun with the Enchanta event. Sometimes they will create things like a witch’s brew coffee or Enchanta poutine. I’m excited to see what the food and drink vendors will create this year.”
The licensed bar will be run by Willibald’s which will creating specialty drinks and sponsor Coco Vodka will be offering free samples.
The Enchanta Story
A few years ago, Julia and Chris Zimmerman moved from the fast pace of Toronto to the quiet community of Fergus where life is more enjoyable and balanced. Chris put all his efforts into creating art while Julia traded in her job in finance so the couple could focus on developing and funding their vision of Enchanta. Julia says, “It’s something we began dreaming about during the pandemic and we were committed to creating a dream-like experience that we could bring to life.”
Their first performance was in Fergus in 2022. They also have an Enchanta performance at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto called “The Village.” They are interested in expanding northward.
The Enchanta Experience
The couple wanted to bring back a Disney-style, make-believe event with story telling and fairy tales and they are thrilled by the glowing reviews. Julia says, “At the show we’ve heard people say
things like ‘I want to tell everybody, but I don’t want to tell anybody.’ And ‘you have to go, it’s an incredible experience,’ and that’s what we hope people are feeling.”
Ticket Prices:
- Purchased in advance $35
- Purchased at the door $40
- Youth tickets $15
A share of the proceeds is being donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre Wellington.
ENCHANTA Fergus is being held at the CW Sportsplex Campgrounds on September 20th and 21st. Doors open at 5pm and the event runs until 11pm. Parking is free.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit them online here.