The Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation has made the difficult decision to cancel the annual Holiday Lights in the Gardens event, which was scheduled to fall on November 27, 2020 through January 2, 2021 this year.
The lighting of the Gardens during the holidays has been a tradition since the grand opening of the Florida Botanical Gardens, and this will mark the first time in twenty years the event does not take place. Many things have threatened the event in the past, but the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation and Pinellas County Parks and Conservation Resources consistently worked together to make the event happen. This year, however, there are too many unknowns and safety concerns, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After several deliberations, the decision not to hold the event was deemed to be in the best interest of the Foundation, our members, Pinellas County Parks and the general public. This is particularly problematic for the Foundation, as the event generates a significant part of our annual operating revenue. Therefore, we must find additional ways to cover that loss.
They will still have a number of smaller events on our schedule for this Fall, Winter and Spring, including the Annual Tour of Public & Private Gardens, Pumpkin Fest, and Yoga in the Gardens. For more details on upcoming events, please visit:www.flbgfoundation.org/events.
The Foundation is also on target to break ground in December for the new Children’s Discovery Garden, and is working diligently to raise the balance of the funds needed for construction and programming. They encourage you to view the plans, and see all that this new venture has to offer, at www.flbgfoundation.org/childrensgarden.
Florida Botanical Gardens still intends to decorate the Gardens for the holidays, and invites you to come during the day to enjoy them in all of their winter beauty. We will plan to be back in 2021– bigger and better than ever! The Foundation will be looking for volunteers to help with the development and implementation of next year’s event, beginning in March 2021, so if you are interested please visit their website: www.flbgfoundation.org/volunteer for more information.