The Botanical Gardens in Jerusalem are all set to light up in the upcoming festival in December, namely, the Winter Lights Festival. According to a plan designed by the relevant authorities, the festival will stretch over three and a half of the 30 acres of the garden. It will also include actors and artists in costumes, stunning light displays, various food stands, and much more.
The announcement made included the dates for the festival as well. The festivities will begin on the 12th of December and continue on till the end of the month.
Rafi Peretz, the Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister, also talked about being a part of the event. He stated that he was quite excited and looking forward to the celebrations. In addition, he believes that opening the garden to the public for the festival is a great opportunity for people to have some fresh air. It will also give the citizens a chance to have a good time with their families in a controlled and safe way.
He urged people to come and join the festivities and fall in love with the views that the Winter Lights Festival will have to offer at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Peretz stressed how important it is for the public to support small businesses while ensuring that they follow all safety regulations. He said that it is of utmost importance that the citizens protect themselves and their families.
More details regarding the festival revealed that it will be held in line with all the coronavirus guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health. Moreover, it will be mandatory for people to sign up for the Winter Lights festival in advance. No person will be allowed to show up unannounced. Visitors will be expected to maintain a distance from others at all times and groups of more than 20 people cannot be formed.
The event has been organized by the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, Jerusalem Development Authority, and lastly, the Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ministry. All the relevant parties together presented the announcement of the Winter Lights Festival to the public.
The botanical garden opened its doors a couple of months ago. Maintaining coronavirus safety regulations will be quite possible on-premises due to the massive size of the garden. It is also known as the largest botanical garden in the country. Moreover, the garden has the widest and greatest collection of living plants in the Middle East and Israel itself.
It houses over 6,400 species of different varieties of plants, brought in from places all over the world. Some of these include Europe, South Africa, Central and Southwest Asia, the Mediterranean, Australia, and North America.
Currently, the garden operates as a research and educational center both. As aforementioned, the diversity of plants present here is unbelievable. Furthermore, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens are famous for being a center for tourism, cultural events, and entertainment. Along with education and research, they are a hub for training as well.