Bellingrath Gardens and Home celebrates 25 Years of Magic Christmas in Lights
It’s one of the nation’s best holiday light shows, and it’s right here in south Alabama! Bellingrath Gardens and Home presents the 25th Anniversary Season of Magic Christmas in Lights in 2020. The dazzling nighttime display features more than 1,100 set pieces, 3 million lights and 15 scenes, set out in a walking tour throughout the 65-acre Garden estate. A new scene has been created to enhance the display in its Silver Anniversary Season. Here are details about the show:
· Opening Night is Friday, November 27. The show will continue nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 31, 2020.
· Christmas Masquerade Gala Preview Party: Friday, November 20, 6:30 to 9 p.m. This elegant evening is a preview of the 2020 season of Magic Christmas in Lights. The Gala will take place on Live Oak Plaza and will include hors d’oeuvres, drinks and live entertainment. The new scene created for the 25th Anniversary Season will be unveiled at the Gala, which is a fundraiser for the Bellingrath Gardens and Home Foundation. Tickets are available on bellingrath.org.
· A Gulf Coast tradition: Magic Christmas in Lights has become a must-see tradition for visitors from the Gulf Coast region and beyond. Families enjoy strolling along the paths together, taking holiday photos, drinking cocoa on Live Oak Plaza and visiting Santa Claus in the Magnolia Café.
· Made in Alabama: Many of our guests do not realize that Magic Christmas in Lights is a made-in-Alabama attraction. Each year, the set pieces for the holiday lights are designed, welded, painted and lamped on site by members of Bellingrath’s staff. Three employees work full-time all year on the light display.
Magic Christmas in Lights at Bellingrath Gardens
· Awards: The Southeast Tourism Society selected Magic Christmas in Lights as a Top 20 Festival & Event winner for November 2020. In December 2018, the show was included in USA Today’s top 10 list of “Best Botanical Garden Holiday Light Displays in America,” which was compiled with readers’ online votes. The display was also selected to the American Bus Association’s “Top 100 Events of 2016.”
· Music and historic tours: Magic Christmas in Lights also includes choral performances on the Great Lawn on weeknights during the first three weeks of the season. In addition, the historic Bellingrath Home, which will be decorated in full holiday finery, will be open for guided tours each night until 8 p.m. The Home, built in 1935, features the Bellingraths’ original antique furniture and collections.
· Santa and shopping: Guests are sure to find that perfect holiday gift in our fully stocked Gift Shop, open until 9 p.m. nightly. Guests may also have their photos taken with Santa Claus in the Entrance Building each night from 5:30 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 23.
· Festive food: Snacks and hot cocoa are available for purchase at the midway point of the tour on Live Oak Plaza. The Magnolia Café will have extended hours, 4 to 8 p.m., during the season; menus are posted on bellingrath.org.
· Plan your visit: For details about Magic Christmas in Lights, or to order tickets, visit our website, bellingrath.org. (The Gardens will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Days.) Please note that online tickets are sold in one-hour time slots in keeping with precautions related to Covid-19.
