Shimmering Solstice at Old Westbury Gardens

In 2022, Old Westbury Gardens in Old Westbury, New York, launched a program called Shimmering Solstice. We were lucky enough to attend the press preview for the show, which launched on November 25 and ran through January 1.

To explain the show, they basically use the backdrop of the gardens and put elaborate lighting everywhere. This is not the standard lighting you might see, nor is it like holiday lighting, but it is unique lighting that really highlights the gardens in a different way. The uniquely illuminated areas include the south lawn, the rose garden, and the lakes.

The highlight of this event is the finale show at the Westbury House. They illuminate the entire house with a display on the walls of the house itself. Lightswitch, which is a collective of internationally recognized lighting and visual designers, designed the entire light show.

It was not only a beautiful light show to see but also fun to take pictures of your kids at. It’s a unique experience to not only see the Westbury House itself illuminated but to be able to run through the lights with the kids. Wrap your kids up in a winter jacket and explore the beautiful gardens illuminated at night.

One other thing that I absolutely loved in 2022 was that they also sold flexible tickets so that you could choose your date and change it later. I know that planning anything can be hell during the holidays, and I thought this was such a cool feature.