Standing amid the twinkling lights while slow roasting s’mores at the Winter Walk of Lights in Vienna, Virginia, visitors realize that Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is now a four-season park.
The change began in 2010 with a challenge that precipitated a big idea: Create a new revenue event at one of NOVA Parks’ 24 properties. In other words, create something out of nothing. NOVA Parks is no stranger to such concepts or to the success of a holiday light show. For more than a decade, the Bull Run Festival of Lights in Centreville, Virginia has welcomed thousands of visitors and become a holiday favorite.
Meadowlark’s Metamorphosis
Meadowlark is 95-acres of lush foliage, rare plants, rolling fields and lakes. It’s a picturesque, serene landscape for 75 percent of the year, drawing thousands of visitors — and their pocketbooks — to the park. But, during the coldest months, its offerings are considerably limited and Meadowlark experiences a precipitous drop in attendance. Choosing Meadowlark as the site of a new revenue-producing initiative made sense — the property routinely saw a net loss of more than $600,000 annually. Its premier wedding venue, the Atrium, brings in roughly $500,000 per year. A high-performing light show could help Meadowlark show positive net revenue.
And so, the metamorphosis of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens from a verdant spring and summer oasis to a sparkling winter wonderland began. NOVA Parks staff envisioned an intimate and magical walk-through light show that would transform the gardens. What came next was a whirlwind of activity.
Beginning in 2011, staff hired a consultant to create the plan. The light show was scheduled to open in November 2012, and staff worked closely with a consultant to design a .6-mile loop using existing paved paths. With a capital startup of approximately $500,000, more than 500,000 LED lights were purchased to adorn the trees and more than 220 unique wire frames were custom built.
The theme was inspired by the garden itself. Displays included flowers, artfully designed butterflies and woodland creatures. Nearby is Holly Berry Hill, with a flowing stream that winds down the hillside and the entire hillside is lined with green lights and large red “berries” that fade in and out and wash left and right. There is also the Fountains of Light — three fountain displays programmed to drip, fade, fill, waterfall and sparkle in amazing colors. About halfway through the loop guests find Lakeside Lights, an animated light show with more than 40,000 lights programmed to dance in choreography to five holiday songs. In addition, every tree in the conifer garden was draped and wrapped to provide a stroll-through winter wonderland, including a bobsled big enough for the entire family to pile on to take a souvenir picture.
The end of the loop is highlighted with a walk-through twinkling “snowfall” and a stop at the fire pit for s’mores, hot chocolate and other refreshments. Two costumed mascots, dubbed Molasses and Flurry, take time each night to visit with the guests.
Ultimately, the Winter Walk of Lights was made possible by an incredible cooperative effort. Meadowlark’s maintenance department installed the lights in tall trees and oversaw the work of many contractors. Agency horticulturists designed the interior of the Visitor Center, and Atrium staff assisted with concessions. Our central maintenance department set up the power needed to run the show.
The marketing department created a unique logo that incorporates the Great Blue Heron portion of the NOVA Parks logo (it’s in the right bottom portion of the tree), as well as unique promotional pieces. Television, radio, print and social media were used to promote the event — crucial given it was a first-time event with no prior market presence.
While the parking lot at Meadowlark was indeed ample, huge crowds could pose a major problem and create a very difficult traffic situation. The solution was to sell on-line, timed tickets to allow guests to plan their visit and to help mitigate any traffic concerns. In order to encourage online ticket sales, discounts were only made available online.
Sparkling Success
The Winter Walk of Lights saw more than 35,000 visitors in just 52 days, including several sellouts of more than 2,000 visitors in a single evening. The show also brought a new set of visitors to Meadowlark — guests who had never seen the park before and promptly fell in love. That exposure has resulted in an increase in Garden Memberships, program attendance and retail sales. The Atrium even booked a few weddings for couples who got engaged at the light show.
In just its third year of existence, Winter Walk saw net revenue of more than $400,000 — a significant increase over the original annual target of $120,000. Concession sales topped $38,000 and sales of retail items and souvenirs brought in more than $17,000.
And, of course, the show has continued to innovate. New additions, including a 50-foot long lighted tunnel, glowing orbs and new wire frames are added annually. New guest experiences create a desire for guests to return every year. “We created a new holiday tradition,” NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert says. “It’s really remarkable when you think about it. It was a fairly lofty goal and it’s been accomplished, beyond what we expected.”
Blythe Russian is the Park Operations Superintendent at NOVA Parks.