For the second year, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia will transform into a sparkling winter wonderland of lights.
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.
A family enjoys s’mores at last year’s Winter WonderLights.
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, coffee and other beverages 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 daughter, River, enjoy hot chocolate in the Children’s Garden. (Photo by Shannah Montgomery)
The half-mile trail takes about 45-60 minutes to complete and is fully ADA accessible. Tickets are $15 per person and free for children 3 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.
Winter WonderLights takes visitors along a half-mile trail through a Garden of Delights, Candy Cane Lane and Cone Tree Plaza, among other magical features. (Photo by Shannah Montgomery)
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.