By Dathan Kazsuk
There’s something magical about walking through a garden after dark. One of my favorite all-time books is “Midtown in the Garden of Good & Evil.”
There’s that vibe when the trees glow in unexpected colors, pathways shimmer under soft lighting, and the smell of firepits and roasted marshmallows while making S’mores fills the air.
That’s the experience awaiting visitors at Moonlight in the Garden, returning to Raleigh’s JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University for three weekends in November.
But while visitors enjoy the colorful displays, few realize just how much work goes into creating the annual event.
And here’s something else worth knowing: This isn’t your typical holiday light show.
Planning for Moonlight in the Garden begins almost as soon as the previous year’s event ends.
“We’ll start thinking about ways to improve for next year pretty much right as we finish up this year’s display,” says Mark Weathington, director of the JC Raulston Arboretum.
John Garner, owner of Southern Lights of Raleigh, has designed the lighting displays since around 2000. Each year, he walks the illuminated garden during the final weekend, looking for opportunities to improve or expand the experience.
By summer, plans are finalized. By September, crews and volunteers install lights, adjust fixtures, and carefully navigate the living landscape.
The numbers are impressive: more than 600 lighting fixtures, approximately 30 transformers, and over five miles of cable.
Yet the artistry involves much more than simply pointing lights at trees.
“Sometimes what we don’t light is just as important as what we do light,” Garner explains.
His approach considers plant structure, seasonal changes, and how visitors move through the garden. Warm white lighting might highlight the brown bark of a leafless tree, while cool white brings out the deep greens of evergreens.
The goal is to showcase the garden’s natural beauty, not overpower it.
This year’s exhibition brings several additions, including expanded Enchanted Oaks lighting and interactive neon art stations.
The Winter Garden features enhanced blue lighting, while the White Garden has been transformed into the Gold Garden to celebrate the arboretum’s 50th anniversary.
Visitors will also discover new light screens in the roof garden and dynamic projection effects in the Lath House.
And there’s plenty happening beyond the illuminated plants.
Last year’s event attracted more than 12,000 advance ticket purchases, with guests enjoying 213 pounds of roasted marshmallows and 426 gallons of hot cider.
Behind the scenes, organizers also coordinate nearly 200 volunteer slots and illuminate more than 1,100 luminaries each evening.
“The goal is for all the hard work behind the scenes not to show for the visitors,” Weathington says.
Moonlight in the Garden is also the arboretum’s largest annual fundraiser, helping it remain open and admission-free year-round.
“As for the fundraising aspect, this is our largest fundraiser of the year by far, and it allows us to stay open and free 365 days of the year,” Weathington says.
The event also supports educational opportunities for students and the arboretum’s work with North Carolina nurseries and landscape businesses.
For visitors, though, the magic is simpler: a warm cup of cider, a marshmallow by the fire, and a chance to see a familiar Raleigh destination in an entirely new light.
Moonlight in the Garden takes place November 6–7, 13–14, and 20–21, with a special Preview Night on November 5. The JC Raulston Arboretum is located at 4415 Beryl Road in Raleigh. You can find tickets and more information at jcra.ncsu.edu.
