Our hearts and deepest compassion are with Asheville and all of the surrounding Western North Carolina community who suffered unimaginable devastation from Tropical Storm Helene. Most, if not all, of our neighbors are still working to recover and have been living day to day without much in the sense of normalcy. The North Carolina Arboretum also experienced dramatic impacts from the storm, and our employees have been working tirelessly to address those impacts to make the Arboretum once again a safe and vibrant place of refuge and solace.

This year, we are striving to make Winter Lights an event that will offer a sense of wonder, place, and perhaps even a temporary return to normalcy — a chance to wander and wonder and escape into an evening of delight and joy.

For our non-profit organization, Winter Lights is The North Carolina’s Arboretum’s largest fund-raising event of the year, and ticket sales for the event directly provide for employee salaries and improvements to the grounds, of which there will still need to be many.

So please know that, by attending Winter Lights, you are directly supporting this important resource and those employees who make it beautiful. We know that for many, the idea of purchasing a ticket may seem like a big ask, but for those of you who are able, we want you to know that this event is as important to us as it is to the thousands who have attended Winter Lights over the past ten years.

Thank you so much, and we look forward to seeing you under the lights!

The North Carolina Arboretum