Come to wonder and be amazed during a Longwood Gardens
Christmas November 26, 2009 through January 10, 2010.  The horticulture
showplace near Kennett Square, PA dazzles young and old with spectacular floral
displays, stunning trees, holiday music, 500,000 outdoor lights, dancing
fountains and ice skating under the stars. Admission
to the display is by Timed Ticket only, with tickets issued for specific
dates and times. Timed tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at
www.longwoodgardens.org, by calling 610-388-1000 ext. 100, or in person at
Longwood.

A Dazzling Dinner Dance, Floral Carpet and More

This
year, Longwood’s Music Room is transformed into a holiday dinner dance
with festively adorned tables featuring hand-painted china and vases from
Portland, ME-based artist Scott Potter. Potter is known for redefining the
traditional art of découpage, learning the ancient craft of gilding on glass
along the way. For Longwood, he is producing lush glass masterpieces with bold
fruits, flowers and pollinators as part of Longwood’s 2009 celebration The
Buds & The Bees: Pollination & the Secret Lives of Plants. The
one-of-a-kind signed creations in the display are available for purchase.

            The
tables throughout the grand room are elegantly dressed with rich, jewel-tone
linens in luxurious organzas, satins and damasks from Special Occasions &
Queen Street Linens (www.specialo.com) of
Lancaster, PA. Each of the 12 intimate tables for two feature unique linen
combinations specially selected to accent and enhance the table finery.

            The
festive holiday scene includes custom lighting from Sunlighting, Ltd. of
Wilmington, DE (www.Sunlightingltd.com).
Custom lamps featuring hand-crafted, decorative shades softly illuminate the
room creating a delightful holiday ambiance at every turn. Stylishly decorated
trees graced with an array of dried flowers and fruits add the perfect
finishing touch to the Music Room’s holiday splendor.

Steps
away in the 4.5-acre heated Conservatory, thousands of poinsettias accented
with amaryllis, narcissus, begonias, cyclamen, and tulips flourish. Elegantly
decorated trees shimmer and sparkle with festive flair. In Longwood’s
Exhibition Hall, dazzling icicles fashioned from lights hang from the vaulted
glass ceiling over an ornate 85-foot-long carpet fashioned from more than 1,000
living plants. The red, green and creamy white creation features ivy, begonias,
poinsettias and more as it flows across the Exhibition Hall leading the eye to
a dazzling tree resplendent in begonias accented with red and gold ornaments
and ribbons. The East Conservatory boasts Longwood’s largest indoor tree,
a 28 foot-tall Douglas Fir decorated with 800 cobalt blue butterfly ornaments
that gently flutter accompanied by blue, silver and white holiday ornaments.
More horticultural finery, including living wreaths, garlands and decorated
trees flourish throughout the Conservatory.

 

Dancing
Fountains, Outdoor Lights and Ice Skating Under the Stars

Longwood
works its holiday magic outdoors, too. More than 500,000 outdoor lights
adorning 74 trees in classical and free-style form enchant both young and old.
New additions to the lighting extravaganza include the illumination of two of
Longwood’s Nature’s Castles treehouses! Experience the treehouses
decked out for the holidays as they glitter and glow in woodland settings.

Fountains dance day and night to holiday music in the
Open Air Theatre (weather permitting) beneath glimmering starry snowflakes.

Ice skating performances grace Longwood’s
picturesque Chimes Tower as past, present and future Olympians join
professional skaters in shows throughout the day and evening. Special guests
2009 Bronze Medalist ice dancers Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre perform
Nov 27-29, while returning favorites Olympians Tiffany Scott and Philip
Dulebohn perform throughout the season. (To ensure seating, special tickets
are required to view the skating. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at
www.longwoodgardens.org and are $5
for individuals and $4 for Garden Pass members.)

Natural edible ornaments adorn Wildlife Trees created
especially for Longwood’s feathered and furry friends. The
Gardener’s Tree features ornaments crafted from garden findings,
including gourds, seedpods, and cones, while topiary reindeer frolic in the
geometric beauty of the nearby Topiary Garden. 

 

Music & Special Events

Music
is a perennial gift at Longwood Gardens. Holiday concerts in the ornate
Ballroom include organ sing-alongs on Longwood’s newly renovated
10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and evening choral and bell choir performances by
area groups. In Longwood’s historic Chimes Tower, the carillon with 62
bells plays holiday music every half hour. Strolling performances on weekends
fill the gardens with holiday music at every turn.

On
New Year’s Eve, Longwood will remain open until 10 pm with special
festive activities for the entire family. Find fun around every corner with
strolling performances by carolers, and a barbershop quartet. Families will
enjoy face painting, a balloon artist, a kids’ craft station and more!  A
spectacular 5-minute fireworks display tops off the fun at 9:15 pm. 

Dining Delights

Enjoy
sumptuous dinners, fun Breakfasts with Santa and the popular Yuletide Buffet
throughout the holiday season. Families are invited to enjoy Breakfast with
Santa December 12, 13, 19 & 20 at 8:00 and 9:30 am. Enjoy an array of
breakfast items that are sure to please the entire family. Reservations are
required and prices include Gardens admission. Ages 12 & over $40, ages
5-11 $22; Ages 4 and under, free. Pricing for Garden Passholders are ages 12
and older: $28; ages 5-11: $16.

Enjoy
the holiday in style with the festive Yuletide Buffet featuring a carving
station, a variety of side dishes, soups, delicious desserts and more.
Reservations are required. The Buffet is open to the public December 19-23,
26-31; 3:00–8:00 pm. Prices include Gardens admission: Ages 12 &
older: $52 ages 5-11: $31; ages 4 and under: free. Passholder pricing is $40
for ages 12 and older and $25 for ages 5-11.