For the second year, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia will transform into a sparkling wonderland of lights this winter.
Winter WonderLights, presented by the UGA Office of the President, takes visitors along a trail of sparkling animals, including a couple of new ones, a Garden of Delights, a Cone Tree Plaza, and a re-envisioned Candy Cane Lane among other magical features.
The show will run on select evenings from Nov. 23, 2022, through Jan. 8, 2023. The Alice Hand Callaway Visitor’s Center will be transformed into a holiday market, where guests can shop for gifts and souvenirs, including a chocolate Winter WonderBar created specially for the light show by Condor Chocolates in Athens. Cookies, s’mores, Condor hot chocolate and coffee will be available for purchase throughout the light show.
“We are thrilled to offer Winter WonderLights for the second year beginning this November,” said Jenny Cruse-Sanders, State Botanical Garden director. “Our focus is to connect people to places and nature, and we are committed to being a leader in botanical education, horticulture, research and conservation. Winter WonderLights allows us to show off our world-class botanical garden and generate support for our impactful programs.”
Krislyn Johnson and her 6-year-old daughter, River, enjoy hot chocolate at Winter WonderLights.
The half-mile trail will take 45-60 minutes to complete and is fully ADA accessible. Tickets are $15 per person and free for children three and under. Members of Friends of the Garden will receive a 10 percent discount, as will groups of 20 or more people.
Tickets for designated dates and times to visit the show are available now at wonderlights.uga.edu.
The Athens Banner-Herald recently named Winter WonderLights the best local event in Athens in its Best of the Best Awards. The show attracted over 45,000 visitors last year.
The show is presented by the University of Georgia Office of the President. Premium sponsors are Georgia Power and Athens Ford, the official dealership of Winter WonderLights. Other sponsors include Barron’s Rentals, Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center and 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, Ga. Free off-site parking and shuttle services will be provided in two UGA-owned and controlled lots off 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.
Contact: garden@uga.edu
About the State Botanical Garden of Georgia:
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach, is one of the state’s most treasured resources. With 313 acres of natural areas and cultivated gardens, the State Botanical Garden offers unique experiences for nature lovers. The garden offers eight specialty gardens, including the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, and over five miles of trails within an Audubon-designated important birding area. Throughout the year, the garden hosts educational programming, including camps, classes, workshops, concerts and festivals for visitors of all ages. Facilities across the garden feature art exhibits and annual lectures, including the Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum.
The garden is also the headquarters for the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, a network of more than 50 institutions, agencies and organizations committed to ecological land management, native plant conservation, and protection of rare and endangered plants.