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Having grown up in Long Island there are a lot of seasonal traditions that I experienced that I wanted to share with my children. When I look back on my childhood there was always that one specific thing I remember about each season and I’ve kept those traditions going as a mom with my own family. We go to the Bronx Zoo almost every spring, my kids got to experience summer camp and we always have fun pumpkin picking in the Fall. My childhood winter memory was always finding the biggest (and sometimes the most dangerous hill) to go sledding down. While I still take my daughters sledding when the weather is agreeable I’m happy to report that we’ve been able to upgrade our seasonal winter fun.

Can you remember the very first light show you saw? I can because I was in my late 30s when I saw my first Christmas Light Show. As a kid, we had sledding, decorated houses, and holiday shopping but no “big” holiday light show here on Long Island. My husband, on the other hand, grew up out of state and was adamant that no matter how long it took we would find one. We found a drive-through light show almost 2 hours away, it was a lot of fun and my young kids were mesmerized by the whole experience and mercifully slept the entire way home.

Now having experienced a holiday light show in person I got greedy. I would see posts on social media of holiday light shows in other parts of the country that had warming stations, carolers, Santa, great photo ops, and hot cocoa…always hot cocoa. Don’t get me wrong, I loved going on our yearly drive where we stayed warm, wore our PJs, and drove through the light show from the comfort of our minivan, but there was still a “car-wash” element to it, even with the sunroof open. I was grateful we had it but I still wanted more.

They canceled the drive-through light show after a few years and now my girls barely remember it. I was worried that our winter upgrade was lost, until I was lucky enough to find Shimmering Solstice at Old Westbury Gardens which has now become our go-to winter fun destination. It was EXACTLY what I always wanted…and more. 

Whether it’s your first time visiting or you are a repeat visitor like us it’s a whole new experience.

• Re-designed interactive area featuring new exhibits for the whole family.
• Seasonal music throughout the expanded illuminated event path with even more lights (I didn’t think that was possible).
• New illuminated water feature (this was beautiful).
• Updated and even more exciting Westbury House finale show! This by far was my favorite part.
• Warming area with a concession stand for seasonal snacks and drinks…and of course hot cocoa. 

If Shimmering Solstice has you in the holiday spirit, you can come back to see the inside of the mansion for Christmas at Westbury House open on the weekends. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the former home of the Phipps family. It’s a Charles II-style mansion where you can take a self-guided walk through the house. The rooms will be decorated for the holidays and you might be able to catch a glimpse of Santa, have cookies and enjoy cider. It’s a fun weekend for kids of all ages. My teenage daughter loved walking through the house and found it intriguing how they lived back in the early 1900s.

For couples: Did you know that they offer a Proposal Package? What a perfect proposal setting! For more information click HERE.

Shimmering Solstice dates are November 25, 2022 – January 1, 2023. 

Shimmering Solstice is located at Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road in Old Westbury, New York. 

Click HERE to purchase tickets. 

Old Westbury Gardens provided my family with complimentary tickets for the purpose of this review. We absolutely loved going and all opinions expressed are my own.