Galaxy of Lights 2020
Back in November, we attended the walking nights at Galaxy of Lights. Based on what I had read, we thought it would be a COVID friendly outdoor Christmas event. And while a good portion of the event was COVID friendly because it was outside and *most* people spaced out, there were parts of the event that were poorly managed and felt very unsafe. We tried to be cautious during those moments though. Melody has not stopped talking about those lights either.
We stopped outside of the entrance to wait on Emily and Justin and took a few pictures.
One majorly congested area was right after the entrance. There were a lot of large (and I mean 20-30 people large) groups congregated in this area. So we managed to walk past them all. We stopped in front of this tree and took a few pictures of the girls.
Then we continued on the path into another building. They had lights along the way. There were other features along the way too, but they were also crowded. So we continued on.
The next building contained a few trees and other photo ops. At this point we were being followed SUPER closely by some young boys. I think the lady guiding you as you walked in picked up on my frustration as she asked the boys to wait up and give us space. I mean even pre-COVID it was too close for my comfort, ha. We did quickly get a picture of the kids in front of one of the trees.
Then we headed back outside. At this point they had some tables set up along with a concession area. They also had a booth set up selling things like lights, wands, headbands, etc. Two years ago, this was the point the Galaxy of Lights began on walking nights. They added the other things prior to this point to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
At this point we walked the normal Galaxy of Lights path. We stopped for a few pictures along the way, and I tested my new cameras nighttime abilities (I had just bought the iPhone 12 Pro Max). There were a few new light setups that I had not noticed in years’ past which was neat.
It did get congested again at the fake snow (see below) and at a concession area that was midways. But otherwise people managed to keep their distance on the walking path itself.
We ended the night at Emily and Justin’s house eating chili and chicken stew.
I was really disappointed in the crowd control this year. It wasn’t only due to COVID (although the safety precautions did not exist the way they were described), but we bought a time ticket. To me, the crowds should not have been that way if they were truly enforcing the times. I honestly do not think they paid any attention to your time slot. And we were the second one. So it couldn’t be overflow from previous time slots. I really think they should have been better about enforcing masks and social distancing. And had we known how crowded it would be, we would not have went or bought tickets. While the event was fun, and Melody still talks about seeing the lights, it was disappointing at the carelessness of the Botanical Gardens for hosting just a crowded event during a pandemic. Again, our tickets were pre-purchased for a specific time. And honestly, if they had just started the event at their usual spot instead of having congested, indoor areas, it would have been fine. Ok, rant over. It was fun to see all of the lights and know how much fun the kids had! We hope to drive thru it later this season too!
