Tickets are on sale now for Holidays at the Garden: Lighting the Way for a Safe and Healthy Holiday. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden’s annual seasonal light display, presented for more than 15 years, will run Nov. 27 through Jan. 3.
The event will feature lighted, musically-orchestrated topiaries, a prairie full of colorful cascading lights, blossoming lighted cherry trees and more than 10 acres of glowing holiday cheer spanning the Garden’s perennial and annual displays. In order to protect the health and safety of guests and to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19, The Orchid Conservatory and Lost Hollow: The Kimbrell Children’s Garden will remain closed through the holiday season. Displays indoors will also be scaled back, but will include the Garden’s spectacular Orchid Tree, a 16-foot-tall display of more than 300 unique orchids.
“The staff has developed a plan to present this cherished outdoor event in a safe and healthy manner,” said Jim Hoffman, interim executive director. “We’ve eliminated locations where people tend to gather, have plans to control the flow of guests and have reduced the number of high touch surfaces so that we are certain we can manage sanitation.”
Tickets are currently being offered online only. When purchasing tickets guests are asked to select an entry time of 5, 6:30 or 8 p.m. Guests with 5 or 6:30 p.m. tickets will have 90 minutes to present their tickets for entry. Guests holding tickets for 8 p.m. entry are encouraged to arrive promptly in order to enjoy the displays prior to the 9 p.m. closing time. No one will be permitted to enter prior to the time on their ticket.
Food will be available from food trucks and the Garden will offer three locations from which guests can purchase beer, wine, coffee, hot chocolate and s’mores for preparing alongside a fire pit. The Garden will also have the Tall Pine Railroad, a miniature train display, in operation. Guests can also check off some of the boxes on their holiday shopping lists shopping in the Garden Store, which will feature wares from local artists as well as entertaining décor. Special promotions will be offered throughout the period.
Because of social distancing recommendations, Santa sadly will not make his annual appearance at the Garden this year. Likewise, customary live indoor entertainment or other events won’t make it onto the calendar. The Garden continues to monitor state and local restrictions and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control with regard to Covid-19. Currently, masks are required indoors in public spaces and outdoors in locations where six feet of social distance cannot be observed. If recommendations remain, this means face coverings would be required much like they are in restaurants with face coverings required when guests aren’t seated or are eating or drinking.
Tickets can be purchased at www.DSBG.org. Tickets are $14.95 per adult, $12.95 per senior 60+, $7.95 per child ages 2 through 12, and free for children under the age of two. Ticket prices have been reduced from last year to account for the smaller scale of the event. Garden members receive a 30% discount on tickets including up to four guests. Please note that the Garden will remain open daily for general admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Holidays at the Garden is presented by Duke Energy. Supporting Sponsor is Caromont Health.
For more information call (704) 825-4490 or visit https://www.dsbg.org/events-exhibits/exhibits/holidays/.
