Now that Thanksgiving dinner is cleared off the table and our food comas are lifting, it’s time to officially kick off the Christmas season. An event that has become one of my most favorite holiday traditions is Glow at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Glow transforms the Cleveland Botanical Garden into a winter wonderland of decorated trees, imaginative gingerbread houses, twinkling lights, tasty holiday treats, and festive music.
The trees were decorated by various garden clubs around the theme “Flights of Fancy.” You’ll see everything from birds to blimps on these trees!

This year, the gingerbread houses are scattered throughout the trees and poinsettias, which I think is a nice change and a great way to experience all the elements of Glow at once. There are some amazing gingerbread houses on display, all created by local folks.
You can get some inspiration and then create your own gingerbread house while at Glow (house kits range from $16-$25).
You can take a ride on the Garden Express train, which takes visitors out to the Children’s Garden and back to see the beautiful outdoor lights display. There’s also an incredible and expanded indoor train display, that visitors of all sizes will enjoy!
For the little ones, stop in the Nature Room for pretend camping (complete with pretend roasted marshmallows), wooden snowman building, and some furry friends.

Glow is a wonderful way to celebrate the season with family or as a date night. Glow is going on now through January 3, with extended evening hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. Tickets are $16 for non-member adults, $12 for non-member children, and free for Garden members. You can purchase tickets online.
Or you can enter to win a 4-pack of tickets to Glow right here! Here’s how to enter (you can do one, two, three, four, or all five entries, just leave a separate comment for each):
1.Leave a comment telling me which part of Glow you’re most excited to see (e.g., gingerbread houses).
2. Visit the Cleveland Botanical Garden and Why CLE? on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know you visited both pages.
3. Follow @clegarden on Instagram and leave a comment here letting me know you’re following.
4. Follow @cbgarden and @WhyCLE on Twitter and leave a comment here letting me know you’re following both.
5. Tweet the following phrase and leave a comment here letting me know you tweeted:
I want my holidays to Glow at @cbgarden thanks to @WhyCLE: https://whycle.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/why-glow-giveaway #giveaway
You can tweet once per day for additional entries, just leave a separate comment each time you tweet.
The giveaway will close on Tuesday, December 1 at 11:59pm and the winner will be notified the following day. Good luck!
***Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Media Preview Open House of Glow. I will also receive 4 complimentary tickets to give away. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***
Most excited to see the train with my two little boys!
Visited cleveland botanical garden and why cle? on Facebook and liked both pages!
Followed @clegarden on Instagram!
Following @cbgarden and @whycle on Twitter!!
I tweeted “I want my holidays to Glow at @cbgarden thanks to @WhyCLE: https://whycle.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/why-glow-giveaway #giveaway”
I’m most excited by the Garden Express, as my son is 2 and train obsessed!
I visited the Facebook sites.
I follow both Twitter accounts.
I also tweeted about the giveaway.
Visited both Facebook pages
Follow both on Twitter already
Love the ginger bread houses and all the poinsettia
Tweeted today
Follow @clegarden on Instagram
I am definitely most excited to see the Christmas Trees!!!!
I am most excited to see the gingerbread house display ( not trying to copy your example)!
The train – my kids would love it!
Visited and liked both pages on Facebook.
Followed @clegarden on Instagram
Following both on Twitter
Tweeted 🙂
I’m most excited to see the trees.
I visited Cleveland Botanical Garden and Why CLE? on Facebook.
I follow @cbgarden and WhyCLE? on Twitter.
I tweeted today.
I tweeted today.
I would love to see the Christmas trees.
Followed both pages on facebook.
I’m most excited to see the Christmas trees!
I visited both on Facebook.
I’m looking forward to the gingerbread houses.
I visited both Facebook pages.
Following @clegarden on Instagram (jenalber).
I follow both on Twitter (@jenalber).
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/jenalber/status/670459720625451008
I tweeted Saturday.
Happily tweeted this morning
I visited both Facebook pages. and tweeted
Tweeted from Canada eh
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/jenalber/status/671167579604561921
I tweeted Sunday.
Tweeted today.
I would like to see the Garden Express.
I visited the Facebook sites.
I tweeted again.
I’ve tweeted an entry. Thanks!
I have followed @cbgarden and @WhyCLE for some time. Thanks!
I follow CLE Gardens on Instagram. Thanks!
I would love to have a 4pack of glow tickets for tree inspiration. I mean, yes my tree has been up for 2 weeks, but there’s always room for improvement!
Visited on fb!
Followed on Twitter 🎄
Tweeted today!! Good luck
[…] 3. P.S. You also have an extra chance to enter to win through tomorrow over at WhyCLE — click here to learn how to enter on her […]
I am excited to see the decorated trees!!
I visited the Cleveland Botanical Garden and Why CLE? on Facebook.
I follow @clegarden on instagram
I follow @cbgarden and @WhyCLE on twitter
https://twitter.com/Jessicanjela/status/671439466532364288
looking forward to seeing the decorated trees
Visited whycle and botantical gardens on fb
following clegarden on instagram
I tweeted Monday.
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/jenalber/status/671532694405156865
My boyfriend and I are biologists so we would love to see Christmas blended with the amazing gardens!
I visited both pages. I don’t have Twitter, otherwise I would have followed those pages as well!
Most excited to see the train with my my little girl
Followed @clegarden on Instagram!
Would love to visit the trains with my little girl
Tweeted this morning
Tweeted today
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/jenalber/status/671872550620815361