From thousands of blue and white twinkling lights to dozens of whirling fountain features, the spirit of the holiday season will overflow when Longwood Gardens opens “A Longwood Christmas” on Thursday, Nov. 26.
Beginning on Thanksgiving and continuing through Jan. 10, guests will be able to explore the heated, four-acre conservatory and be enchanted by more than 50 trees adorned with icicles and frosty glass ornaments. Outside, all eyes will be on the sky as illuminated stars twinkle above, colorful fountains dance to holiday music, and a half-million lights brighten the night.
Inside the conservatory, 16,000 seasonal plants, including poinsettias, cyclamen, and anthurium will flourish. Elegantly decorated trees will sparkle with fountain-inspired glass ornaments, including a 24-foot Fraser fir adorned with 2,000 crystal ornaments. The Music Room décor features two 15-foot trees decorated with dried waterlilies, hydrangeas, peonies, and yellow roses, all preserved from gardens at Longwood. Fountain-inspired decorations will also decorate the Silver Garden and the Mediterranean House.
The sounds of the seasons will resound in Longwood’s grand Ballroom, featuring free and ticketed holiday-inspired performances. Daily holiday carol sing-alongs are scheduled on Longwood’s grand 10,010-pipe organ. Additional free holiday performances from regional choirs and strolling performers will add to the festive holiday feel. For a complete listing of performances, visit longwoodgardens.org.
Outside, more than 500,000 lights will adorn 124 trees decorated in classical and free-style forms. Other highlights include the illuminated Italian Water Garden, and the new Meadow Garden-inspired tree in the Hourglass Lake Pavilion. This 12-foot-tall white fir will be decorated with ornaments crafted from materials found in the Meadow Garden and our natural lands as well as a silver grape vine garland, water droplet-shaped ornaments filled with milkweed down, and handmade dragonfly decorations.
Other popular favorites will return for the season, including the Wildlife Tree, featuring edible ornaments for wildlife friends, and the Gardener’s Tree, a showcase for Longwood gardeners’ creativity.
Fountains will dance day and night to holiday music in the Open Air Theatre. Young and old will delight in Longwood’s outdoor train display located near the Birdhouse Treehouse as it travels past miniature Longwood landmarks lit for the holiday season. In Longwood’s historic Chimes Tower, the 62-bell carillon will play holiday music every half hour.
On New Year’s Eve, the gardens will offer a variety of performances for the entire family. Organ music will fill the ballroom from 3 to 9 p.m.; Rob Dickinson and the Brandywine Christmas Minstrels will perform from 2 to 8 p.m.; and Barbershop Quartet Frank the Dog will harmonize throughout the conservatory from 6 to 9 p.m. Other performances include the brass ensemble GalenaBrass from 4 to 9 p.m. and Olde Towne Carolers from 5 to 9 p.m.
Admission to the Christmas display will be timed; tickets must be purchased in advance for a specific date and time. Guests should buy their tickets before arriving at the gardens to ensure admittance. Tickets are available now and can be purchased online at www.longwoodgardens.org, or in person at Longwood Gardens, which is located on Route 1 in Kennett Square.
For Longwood members, the gardens will host Merry Member Days on Dec. 1, 2, 8, and 9, beginning at 6 p.m. Only Longwood Gardens members will be admitted during these exclusive hours.
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