While most of the focus around the holidays is on spending time with family and friends, enjoying the festive decorations also plays a part in the celebration.
For years, visiting places like the tree at Rockefeller Center or the White House in Washington D.C. have been part of the holiday tradition, or an item on someone’s bucket list. Here in this region, visiting the Biltmore Estate to see the famous mansion all trimmed for the holidays is also a popular excursion.
But, there is a wonderful holiday treat just to our southeast in the coastal Grand Strand area of South Carolina — the Nights of a Thousand Candles celebration at Brookgreen Gardens.

Located in Murrel’s Inlet, S. C., just south of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens is a conservation park geared at preserving the history, culture, craftsmanship and native plant and animal species of the lowland country. The sculpture garden and wildlife preserve sits on 9,100 acres of land.
Brookgreen Gardens was founded by Archer Milton Huntington, stepson of railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington, and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington, who was a noted American sculptress. Built on the site of four former rice plantations and taking its name from the former Brookgreen Plantation, the Gardens opened to the public in 1932.
While the gardens are magnificent any time of the year, during the weekends leading up to Christmas they become a magical place as the soft glow of candles and the twinkling of electric lights bring holiday cheer to life.

Luminaries line the pathways. Fountains are filled with floating candles. Roving groups of carollers and bag pipers move through the gardens, entertaining as they go.
According to information from Brookgreen Gardens, this year 4,500 candles, 2,200 luminaries, 1,000 pillar candles and 500 floating candles were lit for the event each night. Add to that the approximately 1 million electric lights that are also spread throughout the park.
As one of the centerpieces of the event, each night features the lighting of the garden’s official Christmas tree — an 80-foot tall Fir covered in 72,000 lights.

One of the most beautiful spaces in the gardens is Live Oak Allée – a garden filled with dozens of 300-year-old live oaks. Throughout the year, Spanish moss dangles from the huge branches of the ancient trees.
During Nights of a Thousand Candles, the moss is joined by 65,000 LED lights. The lights are hung high in the trees and allowed to trail down the ground where visitors can walk among the lights and the trees.

Throughout the gardens, the statues and other displays also get the holiday treatment. In the Sculpture Court, a fountain is transformed into a cranberry bog as thousands of the berries, along with floating bowls filled with poinsettias, are placed into the water. Other fountains are filled with floating glass bowls carrying lit candles.
The water of fountains and ponds acts like a mirror, doubling the light and creating a beautiful reflection.
Hanging from the trees are mason jars filled with lights, giving the impression that dozens of little firefly colonies are nesting among the leaves and the moss.
In addition to the roaming entertainment, two entertainment tents are set up featuring everything from local musicians to theatrical-type performances. A catered meal is also available on-site for visitors.
Brookgreen Gardens has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
For more information on Brookgreen Gardens or Nights of a Thousand Candles, please visit the garden’s website at www.brookgreen.org.