The Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights 2025-2026, voted Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights by USA Today, will take place from November 17 to January 4, 2026, rain or shine, at the Lewis Gintner Botanical Garden, with a theme of The Elements. Along with millions of lights, visitors will explore areas with displays in-spired by fire, wind, air and water, as well as a fifth element, love, the invisible energy that binds us together.

November 14 through 16 will be a com-plimentary preview weekend for Garden members only. New this year, the Gar-den is offering two evenings of Garden-Fest reserved for visitors 18 and older. Adult-friendly dates are November 20 and 21. GardenFest for Fidos 2025-26 nights are November 17 and 24, Decem-ber 1, 8 and 15.

Tuesday night musical and dance perfor-mances include The Nutcracker, performed by the Concert Ballet of Virginia, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., November 18; and Jazz Duo (Lucy Kilpatrick on keys and Ken Kellner on bass) from 6 to 8 p.m., November 25.