We kept an eye on the weather for Thursday night all week. What was originally meant to be a cold, wet, and wintery mix turned into a clear night, hovering right around freezing. As we bundled up in layers, we made on our way to Boothbay, ME for the largest and brightest Christmas light display in Maine.

This year, over 360,000 energy efficient LED lights decorated the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Lights of every color decorated their central gardens and buildings, with a mixture of s’mores pits, food stands, and art exhibits. Hundreds of people poured through the intertwining pathways, astonished at just how many lights there were.

Despite the cold weather, everyone was in warm spirits. Families, of all ages, snapped photos, munched on kettle corn, and made their way to the four corners of the gardens. My 9 person group, included my parents, siblings, my grandmother, and two friends. The consensus: this is now an annual must see. Between their first year and 2016, they had doubled their light count and I look forward to seeing them push it to new limits next holiday season.

The gardens are open from November 18 – December 31, Thursdays through Sundays, 4-9 p.m. Make reservations online before, as they have been sold out!