Annual Botanical Gardens holiday event canceled
Virtual celebration in the works
FORT BRAGG » This time of year, the horticultural staff at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens usually trade in their pruning shears for colorful strands of lights in preparation for our annual winter fundraiser, Festival of Lights.
However, this year has brought about challenges that have canceled many of our community’s beloved events. In order to help protect the health and safety of our community, we will regretfully be canceling the Festival of Lights this year, but still plan to bring some cheer to your 2020 holiday season.
In lieu of the traditional festival, we plan to bring the magic of the Festival into your living room! With your help, we will create a slideshow of the lights and cheer from the past ten years.
We hope you will join in the fun by submitting your photos and videos from previous FOLs and make our virtual celebration a backdrop to your household’s holiday happenings. We can’t do it without you, so dig out those colorful pics and videos of you and your family enjoying hot cocoa in the dazzling tent, posing with Santa on the plaza, or smiling with the neon jellyfish in front of the Succulent Garden. Photo and video submission guidelines are below.
There will still be plenty to look forward to in the coming seasons. The Gardens will be open for daytime strolls among the autumn blooms and winter mushrooms. The Garden Store and Nursery will be open and filled with unique gifts for your loved ones. A new children’s education program launches in October with monthly activities to get the whole family outside. We have also taken a fresh approach to our extremely popular winter workshop, Mushroom ID for Beginners.
This December, the typically packed classroom will morph into a virtual indepth learning experience from the comfort of your home followed by a socially-distanced and safe Field ID Walk at our 47-acre garden by the sea.
We hope you will make the Gardens part of your fall explorations and holiday festivities. Check out www. gardenbythesea.org for more details and current visiting hours.
Please send your FOL photos and videos to marketing@gardenbythesea.org with details on whom to credit for the images, and who is in them.