Community Corner

Botanical Garden Shines Holiday 'Green' this Winter

'Garden Lights, Holiday Nights' opens this weekend and showcases enormous botanical-inspired light displays throughout the 30-acre Atlanta Botanical Garden in Midtown

One of Atlanta's favorite holiday traditions returns bigger and brighter this year as Garden Lights, Holiday Nights not only offers an enchanting in-town experience, but also is one of the largest light shows in the country, shimmering more than 1 million energy-efficient bulbs.

This year there are more lights and new enchanting characters to dazzle your imagination. Sing with holiday carolers, roast s'mores over a fire, and connect with your inner kid at the model trains mountain. Have a cocktail at the Glow Bar or a cozy dinner at MetroFresh in the Garden.

The show, set for November 17-January 5 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, will feature almost exclusively LED lights, or special light-emitting diodes, continuing the Garden’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

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LED lights consume up to 80 percent less electricity than incandescent lights and have a life span more than double that of such traditional lights – five years or more. To further increase energy efficiency, new timing controls allow the Garden to minimize the number of hours the lights are on, providing a large-scale show with small-scale power consumption.

As part of an ongoing partnership, the Garden will use green energy from Georgia Power for the holiday exhibition. To ignite this winter wonderland, energy produced from renewable resources will be added to the power grid in an amount equal to what the show consumes. Georgia Power’s green energy sources include solar power and biomass, such as landfill gas burned to produce steam for power generation.

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“We are thrilled to continue our green practices this holiday season with Garden Lights, Holiday Nights,” Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s executive director said in a release. “Implementing an energy-efficient plan will maximize our opportunity  to showcase – and serve – our environment among a host of lights and colors for a magnificent experience.”

Open nightly from 5 until 10 p.m., Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, presented in part by Georgia Power, showcases enormous botanical-inspired light displays throughout the 30-acre Midtown attraction. For ticket information, visit Garden Admissions, atlantabotanicalgarden.org or call 1-GLHN-TIX (1-855-454-6849).


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