This holiday season, Sandhills Community College will launch an exciting new community tradition: Sandhills Garden of Lights, a spectacular holiday experience featuring more than one million lights, immersive displays, and festive attractions in the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens.
The display, which is being held in conjunction with Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen, will be the largest holiday light show ever in the Sandhills. The display will run on select nights from Nov. 27 through Jan. 10, 2027. The display will feature more than one million lights with an array of holiday scenes, static displays, and interactive experiences.
“The holidays in the Pinehurst area are magical and have a Hallmark postcard aura, so we wanted to kick things up a notch and provide a meaningful seasonal experience for our visitors, local residents, and families,” said Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen President and CEO Phil Werz in a press release. “We approached the college with the idea and they loved it, so we appreciate the partnership to make this happen. The display will be truly amazing, and a must-see for everyone in the community and those traveling to the Pinehurst area to create special holiday memories.”
The holiday display will span about half of the horticultural garden’s 34 acres and will be produced by Mosca Design based in Youngsville, N.C. Mosca is a recognized name within the commercial holiday decorating industry spanning more than four decades. Other notable holiday displays Mosca has produced include ones at the Greensboro Science Center, the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville, and the Illuminights celebration in Roanoke, Va.
To help make the event a success, the organizers are seeking volunteer groups from across the community to assist with welcoming guests, wayfinding/parking, ticket admissions support, activity areas, hospitality, and other event operations.
Volunteer participation can directly benefit a community organization.
Group Incentives:
20+ volunteers for an assigned event night = $1,000 contribution to your group
40+ volunteers for an assigned event night = $2,500 contribution to your group
Participation is welcomed from:
SCC Alumni groups
SCC Foundation-affiliated groups
Athletics
Community organizations connected to Sandhills employees
Nonprofit organizations
Civic clubs
Faith-based groups
Service organizations
Youth organizations
Community volunteer groups
Employees nominating organizations are expected to assist in organizing and contacting the organization they nominate. Organizations will be onboarded as vendors with SCC to receive payments.
If interested, please submit the name of your group or organization and a contact person to Marcia Woodfield, [email protected] by Friday, November 6.
Include:
Organization name
Primary contact
Estimated number of volunteers available
Affiliation with the College (if applicable)
All volunteers must sign a waiver and have a background check and sex offender registry search in advance of volunteering. Minors (16 years old+) volunteering on campus must be onboarded by a parent/guardian and have a parent/guardian volunteering with them on their night.
“We are thrilled to team with Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen on this spectacular holiday light show in our horticultural gardens,” said President Alexander “Sandy” Stewart. “We are a college for the community, and nothing brings community togetherness like the holidays. This will be a great family event and one that will be memorable for years to come. We’re excited to host guests from the region, all of North Carolina and beyond. Visitors will be impressed with their Sandhills visit and awed by the light show.”
More information about the event can be found at www.SandhillsGardenOfLights.com.
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Contributed.
