Another December has arrived. The month of Hanukkah, Yule, the Winter Solstice; Christmas, New Year’s Eve ... and shopping. Lots of shopping. And eating – lots of that, too. 

And that’s why we need to forget about all that – get out of that “holidaze” and find the night magic, the light magic. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Boothbay Lights’ Gardens Aglow have the power to do just that. For about 15 minutes, you are transported to another plane of existence through imagination.

Instead of scattering lupine seeds like Miss Rumphius, or apple seeds like Johnny Appleseed, the creative elves at CMBG have painstakingly hung a prism’s worth of colors throughout the gardens to rekindle our imagination and the excitement of the season we remember from childhood. The illusion of color-adorned pine and evergreen trees going on forever, as far as your eyes can see ... If you’ve already been, then you know one of those “forever” moments happens as soon as you pass through the “stage” curtain of blue and white lights. Greeted by fox and deer, a moose and other forest animals, along with butterflies, dragonflies, an iguana ... The moose in the pond is back; stones or lily pads are alight and lead the eye across the water to the color-adorned pine and evergreen trees aglow in blue, white, multicolor, red, yellow, orange … Flowers and agaric mushrooms are also part of the landscape or, should I say, dreamscape; and in one of the transformed parking lot areas, there’s a huge watering can pouring refreshment on a baby sunflower – I think it was a sunflower!

It’s a good thing the speed limit is 3 mph because there is so much to see. Take your time. Some musical suggestions: “Chronicles of Narnia: Winter Woods Music”; “Dark Winter Music & Medieval Fantasy Music – Arctic Forest”; or Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony.” To reserve tickets for your ride into fantasy, visit MaineGardens.org

When it comes to holiday light magic in the Boothbay region, the Lighted Boat Parade has been inspiring ooohs and aaahs for decades, as part of the former Harbor Lights Festival. Local fishermen, boat cruise companies, and even the U.S.C.G. (on occasion) decorate their vessels in lights, punctuated by inflatable Santas and other holiday characters … not to mention some of the captains and “crew.”

Our neighbors and friends who are Boothbay Lights have broken out the Harbor Lights events to stretch the magic of the season through December. Starting with that Lighted Boat Parade, which is coming right up – this Saturday, Dec. 4. It will begin at 6:45 p.m. Head down to Waterfront Park, or anywhere with a view of the inner harbor. The boats enter from the west, traveling clockwise around the inner harbor.

Thanks to Boothbay Lights, the season’s colorful magic also takes to the sky with the Sparkle Fireworks set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

And, perhaps, during this season of light and celebration, there will be a few quiet moments in the evenings when you can turn your attention to the stars and constellations in the night sky. I’ve found Orion to be a great storyteller … and listener.