Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens invites Boothbay peninsula community members to take part in the annual Gardens Aglow holiday lighting contest—and this year is sure to be a singular experience. Since the sixth annual Gardens Aglow will be a driving tour, rather than a walking one, contest entrants will be featured on a downloadable map, by which Aglow attendees can extend their seasonal outing, touring the peninsula in all its festive brilliance—and voting for their favorite displays.

Participants with a home or business visible from a public roadway and located on the Boothbay peninsula in the towns of Edgecomb, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor or Southport, are eligible to win. Displays will be judged by popular vote, tallied in two categories — business and residential. Employees and family members of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are not eligible to enter.

To participate, complete the registration form at www.GardensAglow.org and click on the “Contest” link. Entries must be received by Nov. 7 to be included in the lighting contest map and eligible for judging. There is no fee to enter. Displays must be completely installed and lit nightly between the hours of 4 and 9 p.m. beginning no later than Nov. 20, and continuing through the evening of Jan. 2, 2021.

The contest’s comprehensive map will be available on the Gardens Aglow website and Gardens’ Facebook page, giving visitors the chance to tour the peninsula and vote for their favorite displays. First place in both categories will receive $1,000. Second place will receive $500, and third place will receive $250. Winners will be announced in January.

Gardens Aglow, a firm tradition in Maine’s seasonal calendar, runs Thursdays-Sundays, Nov. 21-Jan. 2, plus the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, and every night, Christmas Day through Jan. 2, 4:30-8:30 p.m. The event is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Tickets are $40/car for nonmembers and $30/car for members.

Between Gardens Aglow and Boothbay Lights, the Boothbay peninsula will again be the place to be for wintertime cheer. Experience the Gardens’ explosion of festive color, then enjoy a wide variety of the region’s seasonal activities. For more details and to order tickets, visit GardensAglow.org. For a complete calendar of regional offerings, visit boothbaylights.com

Visit us at MaineGardens.org, 207-633-8000.