South Florida’s winters rarely call for skates. This year, one of the region’s popular holiday attractions is bringing its own ice to Coral Gables. NightGarden, the after-dark light show at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, has opened its eighth season with a real ice rink set among the garden’s palms for the first time.
The event transforms Fairchild’s paths with light installations, projections and sound during a walk that takes about an hour. Since its debut in 2018, NightGarden has become a holiday tradition for families across Miami-Dade and one of Coral Gables’ signature seasonal attractions.
This year, the organizers are giving returning visitors something they have not encountered before: an opportunity to skate beneath tropical trees. The rink uses real ice, not a synthetic skating surface, and requires a separate ticket in addition to admission to NightGarden.
What’s new this year
The rink is the headline addition. Mark Manuel, chief executive of Kilburn Live, the company that produces NightGarden, said in the announcement that guests wanted something new.
“Our guests told us they were ready for something bold and different, and we wanted to give them a genuinely new reason to return,” Manuel said. “So this year, we’re bringing real ice skating under the palms and reimagining the garden around it.”
The garden paths have been redesigned, with new light and sound installations intended to give repeat visitors something different to discover. Specialty coffee and hot chocolate join the food trucks that have long served NightGarden crowds, offering refreshments after a turn on the ice.
Organizers also promise additional seasonal surprises throughout the holiday run.
The skating experience is optional. Visitors can explore the illuminated garden without purchasing a rink ticket, while those who want to skate must buy an add-on and agree to the rink’s safety requirements. Capacity is limited, and wait times may vary during busy periods.
Archie wakes up again
Children who have visited before will recognize Archimedes, the talking tree known as Archie. He comes to life only during NightGarden season, when young visitors gather to wake him. He chats with children in English and Spanish, a familiar feature for the bilingual families who attend the event.
Other favorites return as well.
The Tree of Life leads visitors toward the Secret Garden laser show. NightGarden’s fairies reappear with updated lighting, soundscapes and locations around the grounds. Projections, lights and sounds fill two themed walks, Pixie’s Detour and the Rainbow Rainforest.
Giant dandelions anchor a treasure hunt for younger guests, while holiday movie nights return under the stars.
Together, the attractions make NightGarden more than a conventional display of holiday lights. Visitors follow a route through the grounds, encountering interactive features, illuminated landscapes and characters that have become familiar to families who return year after year.
A garden after dark
Part of NightGarden’s appeal is its setting.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an 83-acre collection that opened in 1938. Its founder, Robert H. Montgomery, named it for his friend David Fairchild, the plant explorer who introduced thousands of plants to the United States. Landscape architect William Lyman Phillips designed the grounds, including their long vistas, palm collections and lakes.
By day, the garden is known for its palms, cycads and rare tropical plants, its rainforest and its Wings of the Tropics butterfly exhibit. It also operates an extensive science education program, reaching more than 300,000 schoolchildren annually, according to the garden.
NightGarden uses that landscape as its stage. Lighting transforms the same palms, pathways and gardens visitors see in daylight, offering a different perspective on one of the city’s most recognizable outdoor destinations.
For families who have never visited Fairchild, the evening attraction can serve as an introduction to its grounds. For those already familiar with the garden, it offers a chance to see the landscape in an entirely different light.
And this season, an ice rink brings an especially unlikely winter pastime to a tropical setting. In Coral Gables, the contrast between palm fronds and ice skates is part of the attraction.
If you go…
NightGarden is open selected nights now through through Jan. 3, 2027, at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables.
On scheduled event nights, hours are generally 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with extended hours listed for New Year’s Eve. The illuminated walk takes approximately one hour.
General admission starts at $28, with prices varying by date and ticket type. Children ages 3 and younger enter free. Ice skating costs extra and requires a separate add-on ticket.
The event is wheelchair accessible, although wheelchairs are not available for rent. On-site parking is limited, and organizers recommend arriving at the reserved entry time.
Tickets, skating add-ons and the schedule of available dates are posted at thenightgarden.co/miami and its official ticketing page.
Families planning visits around school breaks or other busy holiday periods should check availability and reserve tickets in advance.
Author: Coral Gables Gazette News Staff
Originally established in 1996 and relaunched as a digital publication in February 2025, the Coral Gables Gazette is an independent local news organization dedicated to factual, objective and accountable community journalism. Our newsroom reports on the people, policies, institutions and events shaping Coral Gables, Florida, providing residents with timely, informative coverage of the issues affecting their community. Our reporting includes City Hall, local government, municipal elections, public spending, real estate development, business, education, arts and culture, and neighborhood affairs throughout the City Beautiful. We follow City Commission decisions, examine public records and report on the businesses, organizations and individuals contributing to Coral Gables. We believe informed residents are essential to a healthy, engaged community. Stories published under the Coral Gables Gazette News Staff byline are prepared or compiled by the publication's editorial team. We strive for accuracy, fairness, transparency and clear distinctions between news reporting, opinion and advertising. Readers are encouraged to submit news tips, corrections, editorial inquiries and story suggestions through our Contact page and learn more about our standards through our Editorial Policy.
