SnowGlobe Festival: The full holiday experience under one ...

As you can discern from the headline, the SnowGlobe Holiday Festival currently taking over Ballpark Commons in Franklin doesn’t literally live up to its name in that you are not enclosed in some kind of massive translucent dome. Outside of that, however, the experience very much lives up to its implied promise, with holiday hallmarks galore.

On the festival’s Media and VIP night, I gave nearly every aspect of the SnowGlobe a spin with at least one of its target audiences: my family. A small but enthusiastic three-person unit, we set out to do at least a little of everything and report on the general enchantingness of a typical visit.

The most prominent element of the entire experience is the vast collection of twinkling lights, a few of which are visible as you approach the grounds. A towering tree provides a striking centerpiece, in addition to serving as a handy orienting tool as you navigate the light maze.

Don’t be overly intimidated by the name. This is not a head-spinning, wandering-around sort of thing. Sure, you could get turned around once or twice (and we did), but it’s more like a pleasant stroll in which you meander through and past a variety of oversized light sculptures.

The entire maze is constructed with photo opps in mind. You can step inside an oversized present, grab a seat in Santa’s sleigh, sidle up to a massive reindeer and — not sure about the holiday tie-ins here — snap a shot with a hot-air balloon and airplane. There’s plenty more besides, with the point being that you can go very Instagram/TikTok crazy.

The next most obvious activity takes up just as much real estate: the ice-skating rink and trail.

Heading into the grounds, this was the part I was most unsure — and unsteady — about. In general, nobody in my party is an avid or even occasional skater, wheels or blades. One of us begged off due to injury (supposedly), but my son and I decided to give it a whirl.

The helpful staff will give you the option of either figure or hockey skates, with the even more helpful note that figure skates are the way to go for novices. After clipping into the shiny boots (no bowling-alleyesque shoes here), we gingerly stepped onto the ice and found we were not led astray by the staff’s recommendation.

While we stuck close to the railing for the most part, we navigated the trail a handful of times without taking a tumble. Many others around us were not so lucky, but everyone jumped back to their feet with a laugh and blush of embarrassment. On the night we were there, all the skaters were considerate of those around them, with even the speed demons taking care to give a wide berth.

The lights around the trail and rink make this a more elevated activity than might be typical, but you still might want to give a quick think to how long you plan on skating before forking over the extra $15 for this add-on experience.

Speaking of add-ons, two of the family-friendlier options are the Build-a-Buddy Experience ($30) and Santa Express Pass ($10).

Because my kid has reached that milestone of feeling slightly dubious toward Saint Nick, we didn’t take part in that option. I can report that both Santa and Mrs. Claus were present, and they even mingled among the crowd walking through the grounds.

On our visit, we caught them on their way to the backstage cast area, which resulted in us discovering the one pro tip I’ll give you about the experience: The warmest place in the entire grounds is the restrooms near the food trucks. We were there on a particularly chilly night, and discovering this toasty cinder-block bunker of respite probably extended our visit by a solid 30 minutes.

While the youngest member of our party wasn’t down for sitting on anyone’s lap, thank you very much, he still enjoys a good stuffed animal. So we ambled over to the Build-a-Buddy Experience, where he … built a buddy. There are a couple options — I preferred the monkey/yeti creature on the far right of the photo below, but he went with the wolf (not pictured).

The most time-consuming part of the whole process, particularly if you have an indecisive child, is settling on a buddy. The rest of it goes lickety-split, and in moments you walk away with what feels like a pretty solid stuffed pal.

I mentioned toward the top that families are only one of the SnowGlobe’s target audiences. The other is … club goers?

I say this because set above the grounds, with a really nice view of the entire experience, is Santa’s Workshop and Speakeasy. It’s a relatively modest space with a few tall tables, a couple couches, an outdoor area with warming stations and a bar with a variety of beverages — and bottle service.

Now, as stated, I am not the intended audience for this area. The old fashioned I had was solid if unspectacular. My wife’s Manhattan was S-T-R-O-N-G. We did not get a nearly $300 bottle of … whatever. If that’s your thing, though, they’re available.

The speakeasy served as the nightcap for our SnowGlobe experience, which absolutely delivered a Winter Wonderland within the confines of a dormant baseball stadium. Besides the activities, you’ll find hot cocoa stands scattered throughout the grounds, a color-changing dance floor with DJ, and a holiday-mini market with vendors who will help you finish up your shopping list or put some delicious bakery in your belly.

Depending on the day of your visit, you can get in for as little as $20 for general admission, $75 for a four-pack and $38 for a VIP visit. Those prices go up on the weekends, so you’ll need to browse the ticketing platform and explore the options available to get an exact cost.

For more information about the SnowGlobe Holiday Festival powered by Enchant, visit the experience’s website.

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