RICHMOND, Va. – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s popular holiday light show Dominion GardenFest of Lights returns Nov. 25 – Jan. 9. This marks the seventeenth year for the annual display and the fourteenth year of Dominion sponsorship.

“GardenFest of Lights has become a signature event for our region,” said Frank Robinson, President and CEO of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “More than 50,000 people visit the show each year and guests tell us it is a much-loved holiday tradition. We’re grateful for Dominion’s continued support in allowing us to keep offering exciting new features and surprises.”

Dominion’s support for the event is being provided through the Dominion Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm.

“Each year during the holiday season Richmonders and out-of-towners alike enjoy going to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for the spectacular GardenFest of Lights display,” said Virginia M. Board, president of The Dominion Foundation and managing director - Community Affairs, Dominion Resources. “With this grant, Dominion is pleased to continue this Richmond holiday tradition.”

New this year is a dazzling laser light show opener from 5:30 – 6 p.m. on Nov. 25, the evening after Thanksgiving. With a theme of Nature’s DeLIGHTS, this year’s nightly features include lighting of the “Diamonds in the Rough” stick sculpture, oversized L-O-V-E letters in the Rose Garden, and exciting new forms including a dragon and a 250-foot-long tunnel of lights.

The Garden is using more LEDs (light emitting diodes) than ever before. GardenFest is comprised of 40 miles of light strands and approximately half a million bulbs. Approximately eighty percent of the show is now LEDs rather than traditional incandescent lights. “The LEDs use less power, but have great intensity and flexibility,” said Robinson. “We enjoy showing how they can be used to create dazzling displays, while at the same time conserving energy.”

GardenFest runs 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. daily except for Dec. 24 and 25 at the non-profit Garden located at 1800 Lakeside Ave., Richmond. The event includes family-friendly activities, dining opportunities, music and more.

Admission for Dominion GardenFest is $11 adults; $10 seniors; $7 children ages 3 – 12 and free for children under age 3. Admission for Garden members is $5; for children on a membership it is $4 (ages 3 – 18). To learn more, call (804) 262-9887 or visit www.lewisginter.org.

Dominion is headquartered in Richmond and is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy.

The Dominion Foundation is dedicated to improving the physical, social and economic well being of the communities served by Dominion companies, including Dominion Virginia Power and Dominion North Carolina Power. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

Follow Dominion on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/DomVAPower and ‘Like’ the company on Facebook by searching keyword: Dominion Virginia Power.

# # #

“LED” LIGHT FACT --
LED holiday lights are slightly more expensive to purchase than incandescent lights but pay for themselves in the first year through electricity savings. To help determine the amount of energy and money that can be saved by switching to LED holiday lights, visit Dominion’s web page featuring a Holiday Lighting Energy Calculator.