A driving tour of magical light celebrating Maine’s woods and waterways, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ 2021 Gardens Aglow is underway and garnering passionate reactions from visitors of every age. Recent rave reviews include, “It was spectacular!! The wildlife and flowers in colorful lights were extraordinary!” “This is the most beautiful display I have ever seen! I could LIVE there!” “We have been to five Christmas light shows and Gardens Aglow is by far the best. Other shows are a bunch of lighted stands. Gardens Aglow has a forest of lighted trees, tunnels, animals, flowers--it’s really amazing.”  And, “Thank you for providing such great joy.”  

The fun and festive celebration runs Thursdays-Sundays through Dec. 24, then daily after Christmas through Jan. 1. To view the online calendar for available dates and times and to reserve your advance tickets, required, visit GardensAglow.org.

For those curious about what goes into creating a display worthy of such high praise, the Gardens would say it’s a labor of love. Realizing lighting designer Brent McHale’s vision required 650,000 LED lights in 14 different colors to illuminate four distinct sections, from woods to meadows to water. Twelve weeks and a full staff went to work lighting 750 trees, 300 feet of tunnel, 260 iron flowers, ten mushrooms, a ten-foot watering can, and a veritable menagerie of animals from birds to insects to wetland and woodland creatures, all of which were sculpted onsite. 

Guests are encouraged to make an evening of it by creating a themed playlist, brewing a thermos of tea or hot chocolate, packing snacks for the drive, and downloading a map of the region from GardensAglow.org that includes entries in this year’s community lighting contest. The seasonal tour of the peninsula makes a great pre- or post-show activity, as does visiting the Gardens’ environmentally-driven Gardenshop online, shipping locally-sourced, curated, and sustainable gifts from shop.mainegardens.org.

Between Gardens Aglow and Boothbay Lights, the Boothbay peninsula is the place to be for wintertime cheer. Experience the Gardens’ explosion of festive color, then enjoy a wide variety of the region’s seasonal activities. To see what dining, shopping, and overnight accommodations are available for the season, visit Boothbaylights.com. 

At nearly 325 acres, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is the largest public garden in New England. Voted #1 on TripAdvisor, the nationally recognized public garden is located in Boothbay, Maine. With two miles of hiking trails, 19 acres of ornamental and themed gardens featuring native plants of Maine, a children’s garden, a sensory garden, and so much more, there’s something for everyone. The mission of the Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education, and research. To reserve tickets or learn more, visit MaineGardens.org.