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Dreaming of a green Christmas? Christmas lights and a festive holiday atmosphere welcomes visitors to Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange every December to usher in the holiday season with their annual Christmas Strolls.
Visitors can meander through gardens transformed with dazzling light displays and festive, International Paper sponsored community decorate-a-tree Christmas trees that line the pathways of Shangri La as well as wander through the greenhouses adorned with poinsettias and seasonal flowers. Let’s not forget the snowmachine or the nativity scene. The young and the young-at-heart can enjoy a relaxing evening of magical displays.
Christmas Strolls run from 6-9 p.m. (last entry at 8:30 p.m.) during the evenings of Dec. 6-10, Dec. 13-17 and Dec. 21-22.
“We are adding new things this year,” said Marlene Cox, Shangri La’s Guest Relations and Group Tour Coordinator. “There will be a different theme each week, from PJs, ugly Christmas sweaters to crazy Christmas hats.”
For the week of Dec. 6-10, organizers invite those to wear family-friendly pajamas while attending Christmas Strolls. You can also bring an extra pair to support the Lutcher Theater’s “PJ and Blanket Drive.”
To help celebrate National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (Dec. 16), find those ugly Christmas sweaters for Dec. 13-17.
A special Dreaming of a Green Christmas is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17. The day begins at 10 a.m. with a visit from Santa Clause. Stop by for a photo before he gets busy organizing elves, checking the “list” and making Christmas toys. There will be multiple holiday festive hands-on activities, including ornament making using natural materials. Kids and adults will enjoy an opportunity to create holiday festive creations for their tree, home or a loved one.
There will be multiple holiday-festive photo ops available for family photos. See the “Here We Grow! Children’s Garden,” which is transformed into a charming “Candyland” with bright, colorful decorations.
As for the finale of strolls, Dec. 20-21, Crazy Christmas Hats will be the theme.
Free State Cellars will be onsite with seasonal offerings and Orange Lions Club will be selling hot chocolate and sweets.
Though admission is free to the public, organizers would like the community to consider donating nonperishable food items, which help Orange Christian Services to support those in greatest need. Last year during Christmas Strolls, patrons donated 10,179 pounds of nonperishable food to the Orange Christian Services.
“Shangri La is a great place to get into the holiday spirit,” added Cox. “Last year, we had a lot of people come on the last day, so we created some new twists this year and invite the community to come early. We have visitors from as far as Houston that come each year and we have seen several couples get engaged while visiting Christmas Strolls.”
Located at 2111 West Park Ave. in Orange, Shangri La is a 250-plus acre space along the waterways of Adams Bayou that combines botanical gardens and an education nature center in a unique way. Imagine a place where you can escape the routine and stroll along garden paths surrounded by fragrant flowers. Bird watch for hours or take a naturalist-led excursion along Adams Bayou to see the wonders of nature, learn about the environment and its care, discover animals in their natural habitats and spend time with friends and family. Enjoy the Children’s Garden that delights all ages, gain a new sense of environmental stewardship and participate in classes and workshops that promote “green” ethics and life-long learning for all ages.
The Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center was first opened in 1946 by H.J. Lutcher Stark and was inspired by the location of the same name in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. His vision became a reality in 1937 when he began creating Shangri-La Botanical Gardens within significant acreage owned by him along Adams Bayou in his hometown of Orange. Thousands of visitors travelled to Orange to experience Shangri La’s wonder during the few weeks the azaleas were blooming each spring and the secluded utopia quickly became a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
In 1958 the garden was largely killed by a snowstorm, leaving Lutcher Stark to close the garden to the public, where it stayed closed for almost 50 years until reopening in 2008.
For more information, visit shangrilagardens.org or call (409) 670-9113.
-Chad Cooper, Entertainment Editor