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Mounts Botanical Garden Comes Alive With ILUMINA

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Step Into the Limelight as ILUMINA Transforms Mounts Botanical Garden into a Festival of Glow-rious Creatures.

November 12th, 2025

Mounts Botanical Garden has officially flipped the switch on the season with ILUMINA: A Tropical Garden Lantern Festival, and the moment you step inside the grounds, the garden feels completely reimagined. What’s usually a calm daytime retreat becomes a glowing after-dark world filled with illuminated creatures, larger-than-life plants, and silk lantern artistry that makes every pathway feel like its own discovery.

As you follow the trail deeper in, the displays continue building in scale. Then comes the moment that anchors the entire experience. A massive multicolored dragon stretched across the lake rises into view, its length reflected across the water as people naturally gather to take it in. It is not the first lantern you encounter, yet it instantly becomes the star of the night. Visitors stop for photos, pause to admire it, and treat it like the visual heartbeat of the festival.

The garden doesn’t rely on one spectacle. Snowmen, unicorns, an alligator, a giant hippo, a brightly lit ladybug, a grasshopper, and plenty more line the walkways. A towering snake rises above the path and becomes one of the most striking encounters of the entire walk. A towering Venus fly trap also waits along the trail, but the snake is the one that commands the sky. Add in flamingos, chameleons, butterflies, orchids, and other glowing surprises, and ILUMINA feels like stepping into a tropical lantern kingdom where every turn offers something new.

Ilumina © South Florida Insider

One of the most refreshing parts of the night was the space and comfort of the entire experience. The walkways offered plenty of room. Guests could take photos without crowds pressing in. Families moved at an easy pace. Nobody felt rushed or funneled forward. It created this naturally relaxed rhythm where you could wander freely, appreciate the displays, and enjoy the moment without any stress.

The cozy weather added another layer to the charm. Cool air settled over the garden, and hot chocolate and treats elevated the atmosphere. Older patrons admired the details closely while kids excitedly pointed out their favorite glowing characters. Everywhere you looked, people were smiling. It felt lighthearted and uplifting in a way that holiday events sometimes try too hard to be, yet ILUMINA achieves it effortlessly.

What makes ILUMINA special is the way it reshapes the garden without overshadowing it. The lanterns highlight the existing landscape and invite guests into a shared experience built on color, light, and creativity. The dragon may be the centerpiece, but the entire journey leading up to it carries the same sense of wonder.

For anyone looking for a seasonal outing full of imagination and beauty, ILUMINA at Mounts Botanical Garden is absolutely worth the price of admission. It is enchanting, spacious, and full of the kind of moments that stay with you long after the walk is over.

Tickets and details can be found at mounts.org/ILUMINA.

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

  • Ilumina © South Florida Insider

Coach is South Florida Insider's Owner, President, Webmaster, as well as a Reporter and Photographer covering events all over the world. Born in West Palm Beach, Coach continues to call the sunny Florida area home. He received his Associate degree from the University of South Florida, then transferred to the University of Florida where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Journalism & Communications. During his journalistic career, which has been featured in local newspapers and magazines as well as national publications, Coach has also continued his love of being an educator. It’s through both endeavors that he’s actively got students interested in following in the field of journalism. Coach loves sharing the world of entertainment with others and giving people the opportunity to step out of the everyday life.

Events

Surfside’s Paddletopia 2026 Served Up Sunshine, Sweat, and Veggie-Packed Bites

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Veggies Made Great helped fuel a family-friendly weekend of free workouts, paddleboarding, coffee, small bites, and feel-good fun at 96th Street Park.


May 18, 2026

Surfside brought the good vibes this weekend with Paddletopia 2026, a two-day wellness and outdoor lifestyle event that turned 96th Street Park into a sunny little hub for movement, community, and family-friendly fun.

Held on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event welcomed kids, adults, fitness lovers, coffee drinkers, paddleboarders, and anyone looking for a fresh-air weekend by the water. The best part? So many of the experiences were free, making it easy for families and locals to drop in, move around, and enjoy the day without overthinking it.

The workout classes were a highlight, bringing plenty of energy to the park with approachable, upbeat sessions that made wellness feel fun instead of intimidating. Between the fitness classes, paddleboarding, live music, wellness activations, and relaxed outdoor atmosphere, Paddletopia had that perfect South Florida mix of active and easygoing.

Of course, no great weekend event is complete without good bites. Veggies Made Great, an official event partner, kept guests fueled with complimentary samples of their veggie-packed favorites, including the Spinach Egg White Frittata and Lemon Blueberry Muffin. The samples were a smart fit for the day: light, wholesome, tasty, and easy to enjoy between activities. Paired with coffee and other small bites available throughout the event, it made for the kind of simple, satisfying spread that both kids and adults could get behind.

The event also had a thoughtful environmental angle through the “Paddle for Plastic” initiative with Plastic Fisherman, encouraging attendees to help clean Surfside canals in exchange for eco-friendly rewards. It added a meaningful layer to the weekend, blending wellness, community, and environmental care in a way that felt natural for a coastal town like Surfside.

Overall, Paddletopia 2026 felt like exactly what a South Florida weekend should be: outdoorsy, welcoming, active, delicious, and just a little bit sun-kissed. From free fitness classes to better-for-you snacks and community-focused fun, Surfside gave families a reason to get outside and enjoy the best of wellness by the water.

To bring a little of that Paddletopia feel-good energy home, check out more of the veggie-packed muffins, frittatas, and easy breakfast favorites from Veggies Made Great at https://www.veggiesmadegreat.com/ 

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A Day of Bounce Houses, Pig Shows and Juicy Bites as SoFlo Watermelon Festival Brings Out the Kid in Everyone.
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Blades, Buzz and Bibbidi-Bobbidi Brilliance as Disney on Ice Skates Back into South Florida

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Be Our Guest, Then Hold On Tight as Disney on Ice Sends Pirates, Pixie Dust and Power Moves Flying Across the Ice at Watsco Center April 16th–19th. (more…)

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