Dec 8th, 2023

LEWIS GINTER BOTANICAL GARDEN SECURES #1 SPOT IN NATIONAL “BEST LIGHTS” COMPETITION

Conservatory view from the Rose Garden during Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights - by Tom Hennessy

photo by Tom Hennessy

The Richmond region is now home to the country’s best “Botanical Garden Holiday Lights.” This year, voters helped Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights secure the number one spot in the USA Today 10Best contest.

The win comes after two consecutive years in the number two spot. “It’s an honor to be consistently recognized with such well-respected gardens around the country,” said Brian Trader, President and CEO at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “We’re grateful to all those who voted for us, and it’s especially fitting given this is the 25^th anniversary of Dominion Energy’s sponsorship. Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights is an event created by our community for our community and we are honored to share it with neighbors near and far.”

A family looks at the Christmas Tree at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

photo by Caroline Martin

The contest started November 1 when USA Today‘s 10Best notified the Garden. Participating gardens encouraged the public to vote over four weeks, ending at noon (ET) on November 28. The top 10 winners announced on December 8, 2023, are:

Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights
Galaxy of Lights at Huntsville Botanical Garden
Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Illuminations at Botanica
Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens
Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum
Holiday Lights at Garvan Woodland Gardens
Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens
Holiday Lights at Florida Botanical Gardens
Lightscape at The Arboretum

This year’s GardenFest theme is “Rhythms of Nature,” featuring an immersive experience celebrating nature and the rhythms of life that connect us all. Millions of lights, forms, and botanical decorations throughout the gardens represent the four seasons. Attention is drawn upward into the tree canopy and recordings share the sounds of nature. A highlight this year is an installation by local artist Kyle M Epps: Rhythms of Light Uje Wepinasow. This illuminated tapestry of symbols, marks, and movements is a cloth offering to the spirits of central Virginia painted by the artist over three days in the Garden.