Discover the Magic of Winter Wonders at Royal Botanical Gardens

News

Discover the Magic of Winter Wonders at Royal Botanical Gardens

2024-11-19 04:08 Last Updated At：04:11

BURLINGTON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 18, 2024--

Experience the magic of the season at Royal Botanical Gardens’ Winter Wonders! Hendrie Park will transform into a winter wonderland, featuring dazzling lights, festive installations, and enchanting displays on Thursday to Sunday evenings from December 5 th, 2024, to January 5 th, 2025 (exceptions apply*). Entry is time-ticketed starting at 5 p.m. each event day.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241118147806/en/

Guided by the glow of lights and twinkling stars, stroll through RBG’s scenic winter landscape to the backdrop of festive music while savouring warm holiday treats. The magic continues indoors with seasonal décor, and vibrant plant displays in the rejuvenated Mediterranean Garden and the Breezeway. Delight in the whimsical Botanical Train Display featuring model trains amongst famous Canadian landmarks from coast to coast and explore unique seasonal finds in the Gift Shop.

“Winter Wonders at the Royal Botanical Gardens is a great reason to visit Burlington this holiday season,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “The blend of fun, family-friendly winter activities and seasonal exhibits will bring joy and excitement to visitors of all ages. Come, explore the gardens at their wintery-best for a delightful escape into nature that is sure to inspire and uplift.”

Bundle up and get ready to experience a heartwarming evening with family and friends! Pathways will be illuminated, adding to the festive glow, but a few areas may be a bit darker. We recommend watching your step, and weather-friendly footwear is advised.

Accessibility
Pathways consist of both paved and gravel areas. Wheelchairs or strollers equipped for all terrain are encouraged. Please be aware that some areas of the garden contain fast moving, bright lights.

Animals
Pets are not permitted during the evening portion of Winter Wonders with the exception of service animals.

Dates*

This event is NOT available on: December 24, 25, 26, 31, and January 1.

Tickets are availableHERE
Timed tickets are required for the event and space is limited. Guests should arrive no sooner than 15 minutes prior to the start of their timeslot. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with last admission at 8:30 p.m.

Your special event ticket to Winter Wonders gives you access to RBG Centre and Hendrie Park on the date and time of your ticket. Access to RBG Centre’s seasonal displays, indoor Mediterranean Garden, Breezeway, and the botanical train exhibit are also included.

Special event tickets do NOT include Garden Admission across RBG facilities. Visit RBG’s website to learn more about daytime offerings during the winter season, such as festive décor, the Botanical Train display, RBG’s ride on train RBG Express, unique seasonal finds at the gift shop, and more.

Ticket Price
The event is open to guests of all ages, with ticket prices varying for adults, children, and infants/toddlers.

Looking to gift this experience? Give the gift of Winter Wonders by purchasing a gift certificate the recipient can use to redeem for tickets on a day and time that works for them!

Festive snacks will be available for purchase. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase for those age 19+. A valid I.D. is required for beverage purchase. Outside food and alcohol will not be permitted.

Parking is included, available in the large lot at RBG Centre. Additional parking is available in the Cherry Hill parking lot across the street.

Let Royal Botanical Gardens be your destination for holiday magic, family traditions, and heartwarming memories to treasure for years to come.

About Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is the not-for-profit caretaker of 2137 acres of land and ecosystems surrounded by Canada’s largest urban environment. It is an educator and experience creator delivering cultural, artistic and culinary experiences throughout its diverse network of gardens and natural spaces.

For more information about Royal Botanical Gardens, please visit https://www.rbg.ca/

Buddhist monks and their dog captivate Americans while walking for peace

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.