Boise holiday staple Winter Garden aGlow shines with record breaking opening

With more than 550,000 lights, the Idaho Botanical Garden kicked off a record breaking opening weekend for Winter Garden aGlow.

According to Tracylea Balmer, event director for Winter Garden aGlow, more than 1,000 visitors attended Thursday on opening night, and 1,000 more on Friday night — tripling last year’s numbers.

The Boise holiday staple runs from Nov. 28 to Jan. 4 and features a multitude of events, including a prince, princess and superhero costume night and military discounts. New this year are Winter Solstice celebrations and Wine Wednesdays.

“We are a nonprofit and this is our largest fundraiser,” said Balmer. “We love that everyone comes out, and it’s important they know that they keep the garden glowing even in warmer seasons.”