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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.

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Luli Fama Launches Paradise Found Cruise ’27 Swimwear Collection in Miami

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Luli Fama celebrates its Paradise Found Cruise ’27 swimwear and resortwear collection with a luxury Miami launch at its Dadeland Mall boutique.


 August 20, 2026

Miami swimwear favorite Luli Fama is stepping into Cruise ’27 with Paradise Found, a new swimwear and resortwear collection inspired by tropical escapes, exotic prints and effortless vacation glamour.

South Florida Insider has already taken a closer look at the Luli Fama Paradise Found collection, and it feels made for Miami.

The new Cruise ’27 collection combines the bold, body-confident swimwear Luli Fama is known for with elevated resort pieces designed to move effortlessly from the beach and pool to cocktails and dinner.

On Thursday, August 20, Luli Fama will celebrate Paradise Found with an exclusive evening at its newest Dadeland Mall boutique in Miami, complete with fashion, light bites, personalized surprises, and a luxe espresso martini bar.

Inside Luli Fama’s Paradise Found Cruise ’27 Collection

Paradise Found is inspired by the feeling of discovering a hidden tropical retreat.

Think lush landscapes, warm golden hour light, exotic patterns, and silhouettes made for somewhere beautiful.

The collection features Luli Fama signatures, including flattering ruched details, seamless construction, adjustable fits, and statement swimwear, alongside an expanded selection of resortwear.

We especially love the pieces that blur the line between swim and ready-to-wear.

Flowing dresses, sleek coverups, and body-skimming silhouettes make it easy to transition from a sun-drenched afternoon to an evening out without losing that relaxed resort feeling.

It is sensual, polished, and unmistakably Miami.

Luli Fama Brings Luxury Resort Style to Miami

There is a reason Paradise Found feels so natural in South Florida.

In Miami, resortwear is not reserved for vacation.

A swimsuit can become part of an outfit. A coverup can take you to lunch. A flowing resort dress can carry you from an afternoon by the water straight into cocktails and dinner.

Luli Fama has always understood that lifestyle.

Paradise Found takes it a step further, creating a Cruise ’27 wardrobe that feels as appropriate for a tropical getaway as it does for a weekend in Miami.

The campaign captures that mood beautifully, pairing the collection with palms, lush greenery, tropical architecture and the kind of sun soaked setting that makes you want to extend your vacation indefinitely.

Paradise Found Comes to Luli Fama at Dadeland Mall

Luli Fama will bring the world of Paradise Found to life on Thursday, August 20 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at its newest boutique at Dadeland Mall in Miami.

The intimate celebration will bring together invited guests, influencers, celebrities and media for an early look at Cruise ’27.

Luli Fama is also dressing invited guests in pieces from the brand, allowing the new collection to be experienced the way it was designed to be worn: in motion, styled and out for the evening.

Luli After Hours Espresso Martini Bar

Fashion is only part of the experience.

For the Paradise Found celebration, Luli Fama is introducing Luli After Hours, an Espresso Martini Bar inspired by the glamour of the collection.

Guests will be able to sip three specialty espresso martinis created for the evening.

The Luli Babe puts a polished spin on the classic espresso martini, while Golden Hour pairs salted caramel with edible gold shimmer. Miami After Dark takes a richer approach with chocolate hazelnut and a cocoa dust finish.

Along with cocktails, guests can expect light bites, curated details and a special personalized surprise.

The result feels less like a traditional retail event and more like checking into a private resort for the evening.

A Miami Swimwear Brand Celebrates at Home

For a brand with such a strong connection to South Florida, launching Paradise Found in Miami feels especially fitting.

Luli Fama has built its identity around colorful, confident swimwear and resort fashion with a distinctly tropical point of view.

Paradise Found carries that identity into Cruise ’27 while giving it a more elevated, escapist mood.

And with Luli Fama’s newest boutique now at Dadeland Mall, Miami shoppers have another destination to experience the brand in person.

After getting our own closer look at Luli Fama’s Paradise Found Cruise ’27 collection, we can safely say the name fits.

Paradise has officially been found, and this time, it is in Miami.

Check out the collection HERE

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