Atlanta Botanical Gardens: Holiday Lights Tickets Are on Sale Now!

 

It's that time of year again!  Tickets go on sale today.  This year, each  night's Guest capacity will be limited, so get your tickets early!

Tickets go on sale October 1 for the 10th annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights presented by Invesco QQQ, Atlanta’s favorite seasonal tradition.

 

This year’s show, presented November 14 – January 16, will provide a far more intimate experience than in years past with plenty of “room to glow."  That’s because in an effort to promote social distancing during the pandemic, nightly guest capacity will be extremely limited with all timed tickets available only online, and masks and social distancing will be required.  Visitors to what’s traditionally an enormously popular event will be able to spread out among the Garden’s 33 acres for what could be their most enjoyable experience ever at Garden Lights, Holiday Nights.

In 2011, when the Garden decided after years of planning to launch a holiday light show, the result was not only the start of a new wintertime attraction for guests but also a holiday tradition for both Atlantans and tourists from throughout the Southeast.

 

“This show has been in the planning stages for years because we wanted it to be unique and innovative – an elegant winter wonderland,” Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO, said 10 years ago.  “The intent is to throw a sparkling veil over the landscape, transforming how people perceive gardens, particularly the trees.”

Since then, nearly 1.5 million guests  have passed through the Visitor Center and into the Garden to stroll the Canopy Walk, gaze at Ice Goddess, roast some s’mores, marvel at the model trains, dance to the Orchestral Orbs and grab a selfie at the Poinsettia Tree.  Families and grandparents. Teens and date-nighters.  Tour groups and office partiers. 

If it sounds like a crowd, it was. That, however, was before a pandemic struck the country last spring, and phrases like “keep your distance,” “wear a mask,” and “wash your hands” became the new normal.  This year’s light show will emphasize all of those safety measures and much more to ensure visitors enjoy a worry-free experience. 

To celebrate the show’s anniversary, here are 10 things to look forward to:

– Mark your calendars for October 1 when tickets go on sale at atlantabg.org.  Look for a timed-ticketing system much like is used for visiting the Garden during regular daytime hours.

 

 

 – Look for all new colors – emphasizing purple, green, and aqua – as the Garden purchases new LED lights every three years. 

– Check out your favorite giant plant sculptures from the current exhibition, Alice’s Wonderland Reimagined costumed in lights instead of annuals, such as the Red Queen, the White Rabbit, and the Phoenix.

– Don’t miss Ice Goddess’s new locks.  Her chilly blues, silvers, and whites have been warmed up in a nod to spring and the promise of hope.

– Enjoy a new soundtrack at Nature’s Wonders, the vertical, musical light display descending over the Canopy Walk.  Depictions of volcanic eruptions, summer thunderstorms, and tranquil sunrises are choreographed with nostalgic classics.

 

 

– Reminisce with perennial show favorites like the Great Lawn’s Orchestral Orbs.  Be ready to capture those little ones dancing on video!

– Grab a hot chocolate and head over to Alston Overlook for taking in the Holiday Model Trains.

– Document your annual visit with that traditional photo in from of the Orchid Center’s Poinsettia Tree.  Don’t blink and say “cheese!"

– Toast the holidays with a libation in the Skylights Lounge while drinking in commanding views of the city.
 
– Satisfy hungry appetites after all that walking with dinner at Longleaf restaurant (reservations recommended).

For more information, visit atlantabg.org.

Garden Lights, Holidays Nights is presented with support from The Home Depot Foundation and Georgia Power.

The mission of the Atlanta Botanical Garden is to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation and enjoyment. The Garden, located at 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE. For more information visit atlantabg.org or phone 404-876-5859.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - FALL FUN!

Enjoy the cooler days and nights of October at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where fall serves up a harvest of fun events. Throughout October, both the Atlanta and Gainesville gardens will be stuffed with more than 100 scarecrows created by artists, designers, schools, businesses, and families for Scarecrows in the Garden. Participants compete for prizes in one of two design categories:  professional and nonprofessional.  Registration is open from August 5 through September 6. On Thursday evenings at the Atlanta garden, visitors may explore the scarecrows under the glare of flashlights (which they are encouraged to bring) during Fest-of-Ale.  Each week, from 5 - 9 p.m., the beer fest features a variety of fine specialty ales at cash bars and live musical entertainment.  On the night of October 24, check out the Great Pumpkin-Carving Contest. For youngsters, harvest-themed activities will be on tap on weekends from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 27, they can wear their favorite costumes for a day of treats and activities during Goblins in the Garden, held at both gardens from 10 a.m  - 4 p.m. Scarecrows in the Garden is sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation.  For more information, visit atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens - Concerts in the Garden Returns!

Tickets for the 16th annual Concerts in the Garden go on sale April 6.

Concerts in the Garden returns this summer to the Atlanta Botanical Garden with a diverse lineup of acts, both at the Midtown and Gainesville venues. The 16th annual outdoor series, presented on the Great Lawn at the Midtown garden and at the Ivester Amphitheater at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, features: In ATLANTA: Wednesday, June 6:  Sheryl Crow Friday, June 15:  The Wood Brothers Friday, June 29:  JJ Grey & Mofro Friday, July 13:  Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers Friday, July 27:  Michael McDonald Saturday, Aug. 4:  Mary Chapin Carpenter Friday, Aug. 24:  Guster In GAINESVILLE: Saturday, May 5: Boz Scaggs Saturday, Sept. 22: Melissa Etheridge Look for more acts to be announced this spring. Tickets are on sale at concertsinthegarden.org and at Garden admissions. Seating is general admission, and ticketholders are welcome to bring blankets or low-rise chairs. Cash bars and food purchases will be available. The mission of the Atlanta Botanical Garden is to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation and enjoyment. The Midtown Garden is located at 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE  and open from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.. For information, visit atlantabg.org or phone 404-876-5859. The Gainesville garden is located at 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville, 30501 and open from Tuesday –Sunday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For information, visit.atlantabg.org/visit/Gainesville or phone 404-876-5859.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens - Imaginary Worlds!

Monumental, whimsical plant sculptures back this spring by popular demand.

Imaginary Worlds returns this spring with a menagerie of all-new giant living plant sculptures sure to bring a smile as they take visitors on a fantasy journey throughout the Atlanta Botanical Garden, both at the Midtown and Gainesville locations. Back by popular demand, the exhibition, presented May 5 – October 28, recaptures the magic of the original blockbuster show from 2013 and 2014 with larger-than-life, topiary-like whimsical sculptures – only this time they’re even bigger. “Imaginary Worlds was just so incredibly popular with our guests that we just had to bring it back – but with an all-new twist,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO. Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time will wow visitors with a storybook-themed world of sculptures, both indoors and out – most custom made for the Garden by the exhibition’s creators, International Mosaiculture of Montreal®.  The nonprofit group has staged wildly successful exhibitions of its work around the world, and five years ago the Garden presented the first major exhibition of its kind in the United States This time, the sculptures – steel forms covered in a mossy fabric, stuffed with soil and planted with thousands of meticulously groomed plants – will be staged in 14 installations. At the Midtown garden, look for a giant Phoenix looming over the Alston Overlook, a mermaid lounging beside Howell Fountain, a massive dragon and sleeping princess near the Great Lawn, a woolly mammoth and a prancing peacock inside the Fuqua Orchid Center, and three towering camels lumbering through the Skyline Garden, to name a few. At the Gainesville garden, the landscape will be adorned with a variety of characters, including a friendly ogre, panda bears and frolicking frogs. This all-new cast of characters joins the Garden's permanent sculptures, Earth Goddess and Shaggy Dog, which are legacies from the original exhibition. “In addition to featuring all of the new characters, this exhibition is unique in that the sculptures are extremely large, much more so than the ones in the original show, and our own team of horticulturists will be planting them,” Matheson said. The process for creating the sculptures takes nearly half a year. It began last fall when conceptual drawings for the pieces were developed in Montreal, metal frames were fabricated, and plant palettes were chosen. The empty frames were shipped to Atlanta in January, and the Garden’s horticulturists began covering them with a mesh fabric and stuffing them with soil. Then the planting commenced – inserting more than 200,000 plants, primarily annuals, one by one. Because Atlanta’s winters are too cold for the annuals to survive, the sculptures were built in sections that were planted inside a greenhouse just outside the city, then trucked to the Garden in spring for assembling on site. Intricate irrigation systems beneath the surface of the sculptures allow the plants to grow – and the creatures to flourish – in Atlanta’s summer heat. Throughout the exhibition, guests will be able to also enjoy the sculptures in a whole new light at night – illuminated on Thursday evenings during Cocktails in the Garden.

It's Time Again! Cocktails in the Garden!

Atlanta's favorite after-hours social returns.

Atlanta's favorite after-hours social returns this spring! Explore the city’s lush urban oasis in the cool of the evening on Thursdays from May through September as Cocktails in the Garden returns to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. As an after-hours social for young professionals, a romantic date night for couples, or simply a fun friends’ outing for still others, the event – dubbed “social irrigation” – offers specialty drinks from full cash bars, deejays and live entertainment, and games and other activities.  Set for 5:30 – 9:30 p.m., Cocktails in the Garden also is the only opportunity for experiencing the Garden in the evening, when the cooler temperatures at twilight cast the Garden’s thousands of beautiful flowers in a whole different light while drawing out their fragrance. In addition, guests may explore the Garden’s exhibition, Imaginary Worlds, featuring giant topiary-like sculptures made of mosaiculture, all set to a storybook theme.     Finally, guests may round out the evening with a scrumptious dinner at the Garden’s Longleaf restaurant. Reservations are recommended. For information, visit atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show!

Flower show features designers Bruno Duarte and James Farmer Renowned floral designers and entertaining gurus Bruno Duarte and James Farmer will share their sought-after expertise on Saturday, Feb. 24 during the Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show. With the theme Ingenue: A Toast to Georgia’s Film Industry, the show, set for February 23 – 25, includes juried competitions in Floral Design, Horticulture, and Photography as well as a professional Landscape Design division (Registration details at atlantabg.org/flowershow). In addition to the competitions, the event, which benefits the Garden’s International Plant Exploration Program, will feature Duarte, an internationally known floral designer,  and Farmer, a Georgia floral and interior designer, and lifestyle author. Duarte grew up surrounded by flowers on his family's farm in Madeira, an island paradise off the coast of Morocco that’s known as the floating garden and home to rare species of flowers from around the world.  It's there that his passion for orchids and all things floral began. Duarte’s approach to floral design is both sculptural and emotional, blending together organic materials and found objects to create works of art.  His floral studio in Toronto is often mistaken for an art gallery, where weekly window displays are created to showcase his artistry. His exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design techniques have captured the attention of socialites and celebrities such as Renee Zellweger, Patti LaBelle, and Sir Elton John.  When not in his studio, he can be found designing in front of a live audience, appearing frequently on local and national television programs, and at home and garden shows. Born and raised in the South, Farmer is a professional garden, floral and interior designer; author; and lifestyle expert.  He is the author of the books A Time To Plant; Sip & Savor; Porch Living; Wreaths For All Seasons; A Time To Cook, Dinner on the Grounds; A Time to Celebrate; and A Place to Call Home. In addition, Farmer is an editor-at-large for Southern Living and a frequent guest on television and radio shows.  A skilled and entertaining speaker, he masterfully guides his audience through the art of elegant garden living. Tickets to hear both speakers are $50 and can be purchased at atlantabg.org/flower show. For more information, call 404-591-1730.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Reindog Parade!

Treat the Pooch to Reindog Parade! Dress that pooch in its finest holiday finery for the 10th annual Reindog Parade on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.   During the competition, which begins at 11 a.m., pups clad in fun attire will parade across a stage before a panel of judges to compete for prizes -- or just to show off for fun.  Categories include Best Puppy, Best Adult, Best Botanical, Best Dog-Owner Dress-alike, Best Dog Pack, and ultimately, Best in Show. Emceeing the competition will be Victoria Stillwell, host of the Animal Planet TV show “It’s Me or the Dog,” and Vincent Martinez of Fashionado. A Doggie Expo will offer canine-related products, services and information, and participants may have photos of their dogs taken with Botanical Saint Nick. Owners of all dogs attending the event are encouraged to pre-register at www.atlantabg.org. The cost, in addition to regular Garden admission, is $15 per dog, or $18 at the door (maximum two dogs per owner).   Reindog Parade joins the Garden’s array of holiday offerings this year, including the seventh annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights Nov. 11 - Jan. 7 featuring “Nature’s Wonders,” the world’s largest curtain of light synchronized with music and sound effects. Information: www.atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens - Garden Lights!

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Share this:     Tickets on sale! Garden Lights, Holiday Nights dazzles with new colors, displays Tickets are on sale for Atlanta’s favorite holiday tradition, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, featuring a spectacular new high-tech display and all new cool-colored lights sure to enthrall visitors of all ages. In the new “Nature’s Wonders” display, guests will be dazzled by cutting-edge technology that allows lights -- all suspended from the grand treetops of Storza Woods – to be choreographed to music and sound effects during the seventh annual show presented nightly November 11 – January 7.  The display features a massive theatre stage-like curtain of vertical lights forming a wall of brilliant colors that can be programmed to music and special sound effects. “You’re going to hear lots of oohs and aahs over a display that’s inspired by the fascinating phenomena of the natural world – its land, water, and sky – rendered dramatically through light and sound,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO.  “It’s definitely going to be the talk of the light show and something new for people to be excited about!” “Nature’s Wonders” includes more than 1,000 vertically hung strands of multi-colored lights in 16-, 32-, and 64-foot lengths suspended from the tops of the woods’ tallest hardwoods.  And because the curtain-like screen extends over the Canopy Walk and the valley below, it can be experienced from multiple vantage points. The special effects created by synchronized light, music, and sound will portray the wonders of nature – including ocean waves, thunderstorms, snowfalls, rainbows, sunrises/sunsets, meteor showers, and more.  Much of the music will be classical crowd pleasers inspired by nature, including some holiday-themed ones. Elsewhere in the Garden, look for a return of perennial favorites like the Great Lawn’s dancing “Orchestral Orbs”, towering cone trees, giant candles, the serene Ice Goddess, and enveloping “Tunnel of Light” – most emphasizing all-new cooler hues of green, blue, and teal. In addition, the Holiday Model Trains will be chugging and the Glow Bar hopping, while s’more-roasting firepits and cash bars will take the chill off both kids and kids at heart.  Round out the evening by reserving a table at Longleaf restaurant or grab some takeout at the Quick Café.  Planning a party?  For private rentals, call 404-591-1555. For ticket information and other details, visit atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Reindog Parade Returns!

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Share this:  Dress that pooch in its finest holiday finery for the 10th annual Reindog Parade on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.   During the competition, which begins at 11 a.m., pups clad in fun attire will parade across a stage before a panel of judges to compete for prizes -- or just to show off for fun.  Categories include Best Puppy, Best Adult, Best Botanical, Best Dog-Owner Dress-alike, Best Dog Pack, and ultimately, Best in Show. Emceeing the competition will be Victoria Stillwell, host of the Animal Planet TV show “It’s Me or the Dog,” and Vincent Martinez of Fashionado. A Doggie Expo will offer canine-related products, services, and information, and participants may have photos of their dogs taken with Botanical Saint Nick. Owners of all dogs attending the event are encouraged to pre-register at www.atlantabg.org.  The cost, in addition to regular Garden admission, is $15 per dog or $18 at the door (maximum two dogs per owner).   Reindog Parade joins the Garden’s array of holiday offerings this year, including the seventh annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights Nov. 11 - Jan. 7 featuring “Nature’s Wonders,” the world’s largest curtain of light synchronized with music and sound effects.  Information: www.atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Registration Opens!

Lights! Camera! Action! Registration is now open for exhibitors in the new Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show February 23 – 25, with the theme Ingenue: A Toast to Georgia’s Film Industry. It’s been five years since Atlantans were treated to a wintertime show filled with all the beauty and fragrance of thousands of plants, giving guests a taste of springtime.  So this new event, featuring juried competitions in Horticulture, Floral Design, and Photography, is sure to whet their appetites for the season (there’s also a Landscape Design division for professional designers). “The Garden is the perfect setting for a flower show because our facilities and gardens will serve as a beautiful backdrop for these entries,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO. Competitive entries will be showcased throughout Day Hall, Mershon Hall, and Gardenhouse, and exhibitors may register now (visit atlantabg.org/flowershow for deadlines).  Adults, children, and garden clubs are encouraged to enter the competitions, all themed around the burgeoning Georgia film industry. In addition to the competitions, the event, which benefits the botanical garden’s International Plant Exploration Program, will present two guest speakers: internationally renowned floral designer Bruno Duarte and Georgia floral and interior designer, and author James Farmer. The show, which kicks off the evening of Thursday, Feb. 22, with a Preview Party at the garden’s Longleaf restaurant, honors Pat Hartrampf for her decades-long devotion to flowers shows in Atlanta and throughout Georgia. Flower shows have long been a seasonal draw in many large cities throughout the United States, and Atlanta enjoyed such an event for 25 years, staged at various venues around the city, including the botanical garden. The first Atlanta Flower Show opened in 1988 and ran through 1993 before evolving into the Southeastern Flower Show from 1994 through 2013.  From 2008 – 2013, the event was presented by the Southeastern Horticultural Society, which held its last show at Cobb Galleria Centre. The Garden was a longtime exhibitor in the shows, and many of its earliest volunteers were active in the event. Since the Southeastern Flower Show ended, the botanical garden often has been asked to help resurrect a flower show.  “We decided it was time,“  Matheson said, “because it's so important to continue to offer competitive shows where the art and science of horticulture and floriculture can be presented and celebrated.” Co-chairs for the show are Mary Wayne Dixon and Mary Katherine Greene. For more information, visit atlantabg.org/flower show or call Devin Cowens at 404-591-1730.