‘Tis the season, but at Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the season began early. Workers have been rolling out Bellingrath’s Magic Christmas in Lights since August.
By Emmett Burnett
Most of us never have the need to decorate outdoor Christmas trees in summer, under a National Weather Service heat advisory. Most of us are not Hayley Zirlott.
Wearing bracelets of Christmas tree lights and perched on a 10-foot step ladder, Zirlott explains the task: “Crisscross the strings. Don’t wrap lights around the tree. That makes the tree lights look striped.” Duly noted.
By Nov. 23, three million Christmas lights had been installed, illuminating 65 acres. In addition, workers installed 500 set pieces, 49 pole Christmas trees, and holiday finery throughout the grounds.
By Jan. 5, an estimated 90,000 visitors will stroll through what USA Today proclaimed in 2022 as “The 9th Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights in America.”
“This is our top attraction,” notes Bellingrath Gardens and Home Director Dr. Todd Lasseigne. “It is crucial to put on this event. It pulls in people who have never been to Bellingrath before.”
Many have questions.
Lasseigne recalls, “First time visitors often ask ‘where can we go and not go?’ I tell them, just don’t go where there are no lights.” That is not easy. Lights cover the entire 65-acre electrical extravaganza.
The director adds, “another question we receive is, ‘How much is your power bill?’ Actually, since most of our lighting is now LED, the power bill is less than in previous years. The show’s electric power costs will run about $10,000 to $15,000.”
Light Crew Manager Melissa Wells and her team ensure everything stays illuminated. “From August to November, as sets are installed, we test the lighting,” she notes. “Things can go wrong – like when squirrels chew the wiring. We’ve had that happen.”
Another query inquiring minds want to know is when the planning process begins. “The answer is, planning never stops,” says Lasseigne. “Many people are surprised that we work on our Christmas lights show full time.”
Preparation for next year’s event begins the day after the last one. “Melissa and I will discuss what scenes to include next year and any changes needed,” says Lasseigne. “New sets and pieces are added every year.”
Custom-made set pieces unique to the show
Bellingrath also has its own metal shop, an intricate part of Magic Christmas in Lights. During the year, metal workers bend, fabricate, and weld metal into unique set pieces. With chalk in hand, workers draw the area on the ground where set pieces will sit. “The pieces are made to fit, painted, and given to us to tie the lights on,” adds Wells.
Almost everything you see in the show is custom-made, unique to Bellingrath.
August is when designs, plans, and good ideas meet labor. Lasseigne explains: “We wrap the trees first, then come back and do the shrubbery. Usually in October we start adding set pieces.”
The show opened Nov. 29 and ends Jan. 5. The show is closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The work, however, never stops.
“During the show’s run, my team arrives every day about two hours before the doors open,” says Wells. “We turn the power on.”
She explains that one does not just flip a switch to activate three million lights. “It takes over an hour to power up,” says the manager. “It’s not just one big switch. The lights are controlled in multiple panels.”
Once Bellingrath is glowing in Christmas colored lights, crews walk the paths visitors will soon tread, looking for problems. “You will always find something needing attention,” Wells adds. “We have to make those corrections right now, often hours before the night’s show.”
At 4 p.m. the doors open and the show begins. Bellingrath Gardens and Home, one of Alabama’s most famous attractions (it’s mentioned in To Kill a Mockingbird) transforms into an electric winter wonderland.
Less crowded on weeknights
“Try to come earlier than 4 p.m.,” says Bellingrath Marketing and Public Relations Director Cassidy Smith. “Try coming on weeknights. Usually it’s not as crowded as the Friday – Saturday shows.”
“Believe it or not,” Wells adds, “as for crowd sizes, one of the best nights to come here is Christmas Eve. We have our traditional families who make this part of their Christmas but for others, Dec. 24 is not as crowded as other nights.”
“Many people visiting Magic Christmas in Lights do not realize the gardens are open during the day too,” adds Wells. “Fresh poinsettias, paperwhites, and other winter plantings are everywhere. I tell people to see the gardens during the day. By the time you are finished, the Magic Lights of Christmas lights up.”
Guests are illuminated, too. Visitors meander through a dazzling display in garden and home holiday themes, including “Under the Sea,” Mardi Gras, majestic swans, elves, Santa Claus, Nativity scenes and more.
“Visitors do not realize how big this display is,” Lasseigne says. “It is one of the largest in the country. People become immersed in the scene. They want that. Our guests want more than just seeing pictures. They want to be in it.”
Yes, visitors are in a scene planned last January, implemented last summer or fall, and enjoyed from the day after Thanksgiving to early New Year, as if by magic, a Magic Christmas in Lights.
Information
12401 Bellingrath Gardens Road, Theodore
DATE: Nov. 29 – Jan.5, 2025 | Closed Dec. 25 & Jan.1
TIME: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. | Lights turned on by 5 p.m.
During Magic Christmas in Lights, from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., members are admitted to Bellingrath Gardens & Home free. After 12:00 p.m. members must purchase Magic Christmas in Lights tickets at the member discount rate.
Parking is complimentary. Wheelchairs and wagons are available for a $6 rental fee on a first-come, first-served basis
Hot cocoa and snacks are available for purchase on Live Oak Plaza; hot evening meals are available in the Magnolia Café nightly from 4 to 8 pm.
Bars offering beer and wine are available for purchase in the Magnolia Café and on Live Oak Plaza, as well as Irish coffee at the midpoint of the walking tour.
More details, bellingrath.org/discover/magic-christmas-in-lights/
