‘Nine Nights of Light’ at the Gardens begin December 15

Even as preparations for the annual Nine Nights of Light at the Botanical Gardens got off to a late start this year, the event will still take place from December 15-25, 2024.

With just over a week until the festival begins, workers are busy decorating and cleaning the gardens, which is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. The recent passage of Hurricane Beryl caused the temporary closure of the Gardens, delaying the preparation and decoration process for this ninth anniversary of the event.

Speaking at a media briefing on December 2, 2024, Chair of the Nine Nights of Light Halisha Solomon, said about 80 per cent of the older trees in the Gardens were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024. Many of these trees were on the eastern side of the Gardens and had been decorated with lights in previous years.

As well as the challenges posed due to the hurricane, Solomon said they also took into account the difficulties faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruption of La Soufrière Volcano. The latter two challenges did not stop them from hosting the Christmas festival, so Solomon said they are determined to move forward with Nine Nights of Light this year, noting that the “hurricane was just another block in the road for us to overcome”.

Communications Officer at the National Park, Rivers and Beaches Authority (NPRBA), Twannique Barrow, spoke with SEARCHLIGHT and elaborated on the extent of the impact of Hurricane Beryl.

“Where the stage [was] last year, we had to bring it forward this year because one of the trees [fell] right behind that,” she explained, adding, “there was a huge tree at the exit, and that… fell and damaged the gate, as well as damaged some aspects of the gift shop.”

Barrow, who chaired the briefing, shared details about the 2024 festival’s nightly events, which will kick off on Sunday, December 15. There will be some additions and repeats in the festival line-up this year, the first being a Karaoke night on Tuesday, December 17. On Friday, December 20, attendees can enjoy a Pyjama Movie Night, a popular event that was added last year and is now officially part of this year’s schedule. Saturday, December 21, will be dedicated to children. It will be a Fun Night, where children can dress as their favourite characters and participate in various themed activities. The final new addition of the festival will be the Bowman’s & Friend’s night on Sunday, December 22.

The festival will wrap up on Monday, December 23, with a Night of Praise.

Chairman of the National Nine Mornings Committee, Orandi “Bomani” Charles, who was also present at the briefing, voiced his support for the festival, highlighting how it complements the Nine Mornings celebrations. Charles also spoke about the ongoing challenge of securing funds to support these activities.

“It is important that we power through these challenges and recognise the cultural significance and immense tourism potentials of these festivals and all their components,” Charles said.

He, however is encouraging others to take part in the national Nine Mornings activities, which will run from December 16-24 every morning in Kingstown and in other communities across the nation.