Winter WonderLights, voted Athens’ best local event five years in a row, will return to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia this November. As daylight fades, the gardens will come alive with over 2 million sparkling lights, as familiar landscapes transform into a festive nighttime experience, with s’mores, beverage stations and a holiday market along the way.
Tickets for the show will be available for purchase on Sept. 22 at wonderlights.uga.edu. Ticket sales support the garden’s critical native plant conservation, education and outreach work.
Winter WonderLights, presented by the University of Georgia Office of the President, has become a beloved family tradition. For the fifth year in a row, it was named the best local event in the Athens Banner-Herald Community’s Choice Awards. The show attracted over 67,000 visitors last year.
“We’re so excited to welcome the community back for Winter WonderLights this November,” said Jenny Cruse-Sanders, State Botanical Garden director. “With the addition of the Winter WonderLights Season Premiere event and Disco Nights theme nights, there are even more ways to experience the garden this winter.”
For those wanting to experience Winter WonderLights through a special evening in the garden before the show opens to the public, the State Botanical Garden is offering a Winter WonderLights Season Premiere event on Nov. 12. A limited number of tickets are available for this exclusive event, which includes VIP parking, entry to the show, a selection of food from local restaurants, two drink tickets and a s’mores kit. Guests at the Season Premiere event will enjoy included dinner and snacks from local food trucks and restaurants, and be the first to see new illuminated animal sculptures added to the show.
This year, Winter WonderLights will run on select evenings from Nov. 19 through Dec. 30. Experience the wonder of the season with the beauty of a real garden as you travel along the festive Jingle Bell Lane, into the shimmering magic of the Northern Lights, through a Frosted Forest where 30 illuminated trees sparkle in the night, and into a tunnel of 50,000 multicolored lights, and visit with new dazzling creatures.
The Alice Hand Callaway Visitor’s Center will be transformed into a holiday market where guests can shop for gifts and souvenirs. S’mores, Condor Chocolates’ hot chocolate, coffee and other beverages provided by Trump’s Catering will be available for purchase throughout the light show.
The garden will also continue offering a special event for the new year, WonderLights Disco Nights, on Jan. 7-9 and 15-16, 2027. Disco Nights will allow visitors to experience the light show trail while grooving to disco hits. Ticket prices and entry times will be the same as Winter WonderLights.
New to Disco Nights this year are exciting theme nights, including non-profit night on Jan. 9, jersey night on Jan. 15, and education night on Jan. 16, where educators, students, staff and their families can purchase a $10 ticket with discount code discoedu27.
The half-mile outdoor trail follows an accessible path and takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete.
Tickets are $15 per person, plus taxes and vendor fees, except on Peak Nights, when tickets are $18 per person. Children 3 and under are free. Friends of the Garden members will receive a 10% discount. To see the schedule for Peak Nights and purchase tickets, which must be purchased online in advance, visit wonderlights.uga.edu.
The show is presented by the University of Georgia Office of the President. Premium sponsorship is provided by the Georgia Lottery. Other sponsors include local businesses and valued members of the local community.
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is located approximately 70 miles east of Atlanta, at 2450 S. Milledge Ave., Athens, Georgia. Free off-site parking and shuttle services will be provided at UGA’s Turner Soccer Complex on South Milledge Avenue. Paid parking at the garden is available for a limited number of vehicles and must be purchased when you buy tickets to the show.
“Winter WonderLights invites the community to experience the garden in a new way,” said Cruse-Sanders. “We hope visitors will return during the day to enjoy free access to nature, experience its benefits for physical health and well-being, and learn more about our mission to serve the state as a unit of Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia.”
