LightsUp! A Festival of Illumination Returns to Tucson Botanical Gardens

Tickets Now on Sale at LightsUp! – Tucson Botanical Gardens

Tucson, AZ (October 2, 2015) —  LightsUp! A Festival of Illumination is back at Tucson Botanical Gardens from November 28 through January 11, Tuesdays – Sundays. Trees dance under a million lights, tin stars twinkle, luminarias glow. Bring the family together for Southern Arizona’s favorite holiday tradition.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to LightsUp! – Tucson Botanical Gardens

Over a million LED lights are wrapped around trees and custom-built, oversized props including light tunnels, cypress-inspired spindle trees, punched-tin stars, a photo-opp crescent moon, and a forest of silver trees. Luminarias line pathways and hang from giant luminaria chandeliers and archways.

What’s New in 2025: You will know you’ve arrived at the Gardens’ new entrance when you spot the oversized, five-foot vine wreaths decorated with holiday lights and festive ornaments. A Butterfly Tree will transform the Pavilion into a magical woodland grotto. The Great Garden Express has a new collection of railroad buildings that are festooned with teeny tiny lights and wreaths made by the Sonoran Desert Model Builders. Not to be missed: enjoy the new Frida’s Garden by the light of traditional luminarias!

Need to Know: A gentle stroll along the mile-long path will take 45 – 60 minutes. The LightsUp! soundtrack is choreographed with the lights in some zones. Edna’s Eatery by Charly’s Grill will be serving a special grab-and-go menu, and Peddler on the Path will make a welcome return with hot beverages on Thursdays – Sundays. LightsUp! tickets are timed, and dynamically priced.

Tucson Botanical Gardens  is located on the site of the historic Porter family property in the heart of Tucson, Arizona, Tucson Botanical Gardens (TBG) is a lush oasis set on nearly six acres. It has been ranked #4 in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards three years in a row.  More than 7,000 plant species are displayed in over twenty curated garden spaces including a world-class collection of cacti, grasses, flowers, and mature trees. Gardens include Frida’s Garden (opens October 11), Cacti & Succulents of the World, Nuestro Jardín (a traditional Mexican-American neighborhood garden), Children’s Discovery Garden, and many more that showcase the diversity of plants that can thrive in the Sonoran Desert. The Great Garden Express is a G scale model railway set in an Arizona, Sky Island inspired landscape, and TBG is home to the only tropical butterfly pavilion in Southern Arizona, open October – May. TBG offers rotating art displays, community classes, events, and international exhibits. Edna’s Eatery by Charly’s Grill serves a seasonal menu. Event services are available for groups, weddings, and social gatherings. TBG is located at 2150 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712. Learn more and purchase tickets at TucsonBotanical.org.