Winter Lights display at The NC Arboretum
Each year, installation of the Winter Lights show typically begins in late summer, but two months of that work was lost due to Hurricane Helene. Donated photo
The 11th annual Winter Lights returned to The North Carolina Arboretum on Friday Nov. 15, with the show running nightly through Dec. 31.
This year, Winter Lights is unveiling “Seasons of Light,” a celebration of the four seasons interpreted in more than one million lights. From the towering flowers of “Spring Sprouts” and the magical mushrooms of “Fall Fungi,” to behemoth butterflies and the beloved giant caterpillar, guests can immerse themselves in the enchanting displays and acres of lights.
Since October, the Arboretum team has been working diligently to restore the show to be as big and as magical an experience as it has been before. Winter Lights is The North Carolina Arboretum Society’s largest fundraiser of the year, and proceeds generated from the display directly support the Arboretum’s employees, programming, improvements to the grounds and is a major economic driver for local vendors, musicians and seasonal staff that participate each year.
New in 2024 is the Enchanted Oasis, an interactive light installation that changes and responds to touch and motion, and the Ice Castle, where silvery winter spires rise toward the sky. Familiar favorites like the to the 50-foot animated Tree of Light, the illuminated musical quilt garden, and the Polar Express railroad will also return. The Connections Gift Shop in the Baker Visitor Center and the expanded Winter Lights shop in the Education Center are full of one-of-a-kind holiday treasures. The animatronic animals of Storytime at Woodland Cove will be singing carols and telling tales, and guests can relax and enjoy live music nightly, hot cocoa and treats from the Bent Creek Bistro.
Tickets are on sale now at ncwinterlights.com and are purchased per-vehicle. Tickets are sold by date in a three-tiered system to offer a range of admission prices, with off-peak dates costing less than those nights with the most demand. The Arboretum strongly recommends purchasing tickets in advance and online. Members of The North Carolina Arboretum Society get $5 off tickets when purchased in advance.
This year, the Arboretum has established the “Share the Wonder” campaign that allows Winter Lights ticket purchasers to donate additional tickets for those in need around the region. “Share the Wonder” tickets will be distributed to area nonprofit organizations to be gifted to individuals and families.
