Things to Do in South Florida: The NightGarden
‘Tis the season for festive holiday adventures! I may be biased, but I truly believe that there are few better places to celebrate this time of year than the Sunshine State. Back in November, I crossed a longtime item off of my bucket list and visited The NightGarden, a magical light garden experience in Coral Gables, to ring in the holidays. If you’re traveling to South Florida, I highly recommend this immersive experience for a boost in holiday spirit.
The NightGarden takes place at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in the Miami area from November 11 to January 8. Purchase a timed entry ticket ahead of time to stroll through the garden, which is about a 60 to 90-minute visit and is mostly wheelchair/stroller accessible.
I’m a big fan of augmented reality (I already live in my own reality! 🤪), so I love that The NightGarden has an augmented reality component. If you download their Fairyscope app, you can point your phone’s camera at certain flower symbols throughout the garden in order to discover all of the fairies that are hiding there. This is definitely designed for the kids and families, but adults will have fun seeking out all of the hidden fairies, too.
There’s a wise talking tree at The Nightgarden, which takes me back to the days of FAO Schwartz and is such a cool touch! Visitors to the garden will also get to see beautiful lighting and holograms, but our favorite part by far was the bubbles, which vaporized as soon as you touch them. (My existential question ever since I visited: is it possible that bubbles are all we truly needed to be happy? The level of joy radiating from all age groups in that area of the garden was so unparalleled that I’m starting to think bubbles are the cure-all wellness modality that we have all been missing.)
If you’re spending time in South Florida between now and early January, add this experience to your calendar for some much-needed holiday cheer!
Florida friends, what are your favorite local holiday activities? Share your recommendations in the comments below!
