2023 Christmas in the Gardens lights up Amarillo Botanical Gardens

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
Updated ·2 min read

The Amarillo Botanical Gardens (ABG) welcomes back the community to its 15th season of the Christmas in the Gardens, running Dec. 15 through Dec. 23 at the gardens, located at 1400 Streit Dr.

The gardens said on Facebook it would be closed the planned opening night, Dec. 14, due to weather.

The 2023 Christmas in the Gardens will include all of the crowd favorites everyone knows and loves, from photos with Santa and the Grinch to live Christmas music sung by carolers, all the way down to the hot chocolate, coffee, s'mores, and popcorn served by the gardens.

Jaylah and Jaylynn Padilla take a picture with Santa in December 2022 at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens during its Christmas in the Gardens event. This year's event runs Dec. 14-23.
Jaylah and Jaylynn Padilla take a picture with Santa in December 2022 at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens during its Christmas in the Gardens event. This year's event runs Dec. 14-23.
The Grinch shows that he is not such a mean one to young Leilani Cardenas at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens in this 2022 file photo during its Christmas in the Gardens event.
The Grinch shows that he is not such a mean one to young Leilani Cardenas at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens in this 2022 file photo during its Christmas in the Gardens event.

"We grew from just a few lights literally to now half a million lights, and it's really a lot more than just Christmas lights. It's really an experience," ABG Executive Director Greg Lusk said.

"When I began this, I knew that there were a lot of great places to see Christmas lights in town, but to get out of your car and walk around and view it with your date, or your family, or yourself even, it kind of is a hallmark experience come to life," Lusk added.

A family enjoys the tunnel of lights in December 2022 at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens during its Christmas in the Gardens event. This year's event runs Dec. 14-23.
A family enjoys the tunnel of lights in December 2022 at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens during its Christmas in the Gardens event. This year's event runs Dec. 14-23.
A mother guides her two children through the lights of the Amarillo Botanical Gardens in December 2022 at its Christmas in the Gardens event. This year's holiday spectacle begins Dec. 14 and continues through Dec. 23.
A mother guides her two children through the lights of the Amarillo Botanical Gardens in December 2022 at its Christmas in the Gardens event. This year's holiday spectacle begins Dec. 14 and continues through Dec. 23.

Lusk also said that as an informal scavenger hunt, he and his staff have placed all 12 Days of Christmas hidden throughout the gardens for attendees to search for within the lights.

This year will also include a new, 100-foot-long tunnel including 40,000 lights for attendees to walk through, as well as a new trio of singing Christmas trees, complete with a snow machine and plenty of room to dance.

"This is really just an atmosphere that is unique to the gardens," Lusk added. "The gardens are almost 60 years old, and you can tell when it's a persons first time or when they haven't been in a while, because their eyes just light up when they first walk in."

The Christmas in the Gardens event at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens continues with a lighted walk through nature, as seen in this 2022 file photo.
The Christmas in the Gardens event at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens continues with a lighted walk through nature, as seen in this 2022 file photo.
Lit up reindeer are among the sights to be seen at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens during its Christmas in the Gardens event, as seen in this 2022 file photo.
Lit up reindeer are among the sights to be seen at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens during its Christmas in the Gardens event, as seen in this 2022 file photo.

Admission to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens is $10 per person older than 5 years of age. Christmas in the Gardens will be available every day through the week, weather permitting, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

In the event of inclement weather, postponements and cancellations will be announced on the ABG Facebook page.

For more information, follow ABG on Facebook or visit them online at https://amarillobotanicalgardens.org/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Botanical Gardens hosts 500,000 lights for Christmas display