The festive light display at Montgomery County’s Brookside Gardens runs for approximately six weeks. However, the groundwork for this dazzling event, featuring 1.5 million sparkling lights, is a continuous effort throughout the entire year.
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The holiday light display at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County welcomes visitors for about six weeks every year. Nonetheless, the preparation for this stunning showcase, which boasts 1.5 million shimmering lights, is an ongoing task that spans the full calendar year.
Right after the final shows wrap up in early January, team members start brainstorming ideas for the upcoming year, according to Jeff Patterson, the facilities and grounds manager at Brookside Gardens.
“Following our wrap-up meeting, the conversation shifts to: What do we want to improve for next year?” explained Patterson, who has been dedicated to organizing the event for 24 consecutive years.
Brookside Gardens isn’t alone in this endeavor. Across Maryland, both drive-through and walking light displays have transformed into beloved winter holiday traditions, demanding extensive man-hours and significant budget allocations for setup each year.
Throughout Maryland, well-loved light shows take place in various parks, gardens, fairgrounds, and farms, starting around Thanksgiving and often continuing past Christmas and into the New Year.
The popularity of these displays surged during the coronavirus pandemic, when many Marylanders, feeling cooped up, sought outdoor activities that allowed them to maintain social distancing.
Brookside’s Garden of Lights, organized by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has attracted an impressive average of 44,000 visitors annually since 2022. Prior to this, ticket sales were per vehicle instead of by individual, complicating comparisons to pre-pandemic numbers. However, Patterson noted that the pandemic undoubtedly contributed to increased attendance.
“We definitely saw a rise in visitors during those years,” he mentioned.
Recently, as the event’s opening drew near, workers were seen using zip ties to secure lights to a large tunnel, designed to resemble a caterpillar, which visitors will walk through near the visitor center. Meanwhile, another team was busy assembling a second illuminated tunnel in the yew garden, located on the opposite side of the expansive 50-acre Wheaton Regional Park.
For the Brookside show, which debuted on November 21, the design process kicks off in January. After planning, materials are ordered, and an in-house welder fabricates the metal structures that support the lights.
Patterson mentioned that each year, the crew makes small adjustments to the show, adding new attractions based on visitor feedback. For instance, last year, they introduced a display of pink flamingos by a lake in the gardens.
“That turned out to be a massive hit,” Patterson remarked. “So this year, we’ve added palm trees and a variety of other intriguing elements.”
This year’s setup faced an unexpected challenge: tariffs introduced by President Trump on imports from countries like China has inflated the costs of essential materials and light bulbs needed for the displays. Patterson mentioned that prices fluctuated frequently, necessitating staff to check continuously before making purchases.
“As a government agency, we have strict spending limits,” Patterson explained. “This meant we had to scale back our supply purchases, as we were impacted by those increased tariff costs. For example, instead of ordering 20 lights, we had to settle for 18, due to the extra expenses incurred from tariffs.”
The overall budget for the light show typically amounts to several hundred thousand dollars each year, Patterson stated. Admission prices are set at $13.99 from Sunday to Thursday, and $16.99 on Fridays and Saturdays, with free entry for children aged five and under.
A dedicated team of approximately a dozen seasonal workers begins assembling the displays in August. They first construct the metal silhouettes for the lights and then organize the lights by color after retrieving them from four shipping containers.
During the off-season, larger metal figures, such as a giraffe and towering trees, are stored beneath protective structures.
“The show keeps evolving and expanding as we add new elements each year,” he noted.
Over the years, the show has undergone significant changes. One notable transition occurred around 2015 when they switched from incandescent to LED lights, a process that was time-consuming and labor-intensive.
“It took us several years to update all the forms since they were initially designed for incandescent bulbs,” Patterson said. “For instance, our giraffe, which features the most lights, required three weeks of work to strip and redo.”
Looking ahead, displays that can be managed through smartphone apps are becoming the next big trend, prompting additional adaptations for the Brookside team.
“The initial switch to this technology was quite challenging; we had to navigate the learning curve of installing WiFi in the gardens to support such features,” Patterson shared.
In addition to managing the light show, Patterson’s role encompasses various responsibilities as grounds manager, including overseeing irrigation, custodial teams, and other essential operations. Nonetheless, orchestrating the light show has become a crucial part of his daily operations.
“It represents a massive effort that engages almost every department, from advertising to budgeting, as well as the development of our banners, signage, and online marketing,” Patterson concluded.
