Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights voted best in the nation
Free Press staff report | 12/14/2023, 6 p.m.
The Richmond region is now home to the country’s best “Botanical Garden Holiday Lights.” This year, voters helped Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden secure the number one spot in the USA Today 10 Best contest. The win comes after two consecutive years in the No. 2 spot.
“It’s an honor to be consistently recognized with such well-respected gardens around the country,” said Brian Trader, president and CEO at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “We’re grateful to all those who voted for us, and it’s especially fitting given this is the 25th anniversary of Dominion Energy’s sponsorship.
Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights is an event created by our community for our community and we are honored to share it with neighbors near and far.”
The contest started Nov. 1 when USA Today’s 10 Best notified the Garden. Participating gardens encouraged the public to vote over four weeks, ending at noon on Nov. 28. The top 10 winners announced Dec. 8, 2023, are:
- Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights
- Galaxy of Lights at Huntsville Botanical Garden
- Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
- Illuminations at Botanica
- Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens
- Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum
- Holiday Lights at Garvan Woodland Gardens
- Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens
- Holiday Lights at Florida Botanical Gardens
- Lightscape at The Arboretum
Want to see the magic?
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights runs through Jan. 7, 2024 (closed Dec. 24 and 25).
Tickets are $10 per ticket and available online only at lewisginter.org. They must be purchased in advance. No walkups.
What you will see:
This year’s theme is “Rhythms of Nature.” Guests are invited to pause and reflect on how nature connects people to one another as they travel through the four seasons, represented by more than a million lights in different colors throughout the Garden and botanical decorations in the Conservatory and Kelly Education Center.
