Nights of A Thousand Candles: A One In A Thousand Holiday Event

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The winter holidays are a wonderful time to gather with family and friends and share good times in the luxurious comfort of North Myrtle Beach’s North Beach Plantation. If you are looking for an area event to kindle your holiday spirit during your stay on the Grand Strand, the Nights of a Thousand Candles event at Brookgreen Gardens is an absolute must-see.

Brookgreen Gardens, a 9,000-acre sculpture garden in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, offers a beautiful blend of art and nature that is well worth the visit at any time of year. But it especially shines during the holiday season, when it is transformed into a magical world of twinkling fairy lights and holiday music. The gardens glow in the luster of over 5,500 hand-lit candles, in addition to the countless electric bulbs, creating an atmosphere both enchanting and uplifting. The attraction’s Douglas fir Christmas tree alone is decorated with over 70,000 glimmering lights. There is a ceremonial lighting of the 80-foot-tall tree every evening at 5:45.

Other favorite spots include the Diana Pool, where the statue of the pool’s namesake Roman goddess is illuminated by the floating candles filling the water around her, and the fanciful Children’s Garden, with its colored luminaries and Chinese lanterns strung over the reflecting pool in a stunning display. This year, there will also be a glass sculpture exhibit — an entire garden of hand-blown glass flowers and trees — created by Conway Glass

During the event, there are also museum displays, roaming bagpipe players and an entertainment tent for choral and bell-ringing performances. There will also be a heated food tent serving BBQ, burgers, chicken and shrimp, a beverage tent where you can get a cup of cocoa or hot cider to warm up if the evening is cool, and the Old Kitchen tent, where you can purchase soup and snacks. Brookgreen Gardens’ Pavilion Restaurant will be closed during this event, however, if a cafeteria-style meal is not what you’re looking for, you can always stop in at one of the many fine restaurants in downtown Myrtle Beach on your way back to North Beach Plantation!

Nights of a Thousand Candles is open from 3 to 10 p.m. for the three weekends preceding Christmas in December — Dec. 1-3, 8-10 and 15-18. Please note, it is not a drive-through display; visitors will walk through the various gardens and exhibits, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes, dress appropriately for the weather and plan accordingly if you are bringing young children or older people who may not be able to walk for that long.

This year, due to the popularity of the event, Brookgreen Gardens is instituting a new ticketing policy. Tickets may be purchased in advance via their website at www.brookgreen.org/, and the number of tickets sold each evening will be limited — so don’t wait until the last minute to book your admission!

Whether you are revisiting an annual delight or starting a new tradition, the Nights of a Thousand Candles will easily become a highlight of your holiday stay at North Beach Plantation.