Five cheap Washington, DC things that you can do in five days. Day five: Brookside Gardens Annual Garden of Lights

This photo of Brookside Gardens is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I know that this one is not technically in Washington, DC but I am going to mention it because it is too nice to miss. Brookside Gardens is located in Silver Spring, MD (Wheaton, to be exact) and aside from a being a  very nice "free" place to visit at all times of the year, features it's annual Garden of Lights this time of year. The event  runs from November 29th of this year through January 5th of 2014 with closings for for a few days around Christmas and New Years. We have pretty much gone every year since it began and it just get's better (and more crowded) each year. Last year I even took an unplanned dip into the pond but that is another story for another blog post.

Basically they take a portion of the grounds and decorate the foliage and surrounding area with an amazing display of colorful holiday lights. Typically entrance to Brookside Gardens does not cost anything, however, they do charge admission for the Garden of Lights. You pay by the vehicle ($20) for a car so it pays to load up the ole sedan with as many friends and family members as you can stomach as there is no extra charge. As long as it is only one vehicle you are good to go. The images here speak for themselves so dress warm, take a thermos of cider and go have a great evening.

Some nights it can get a bit crowded. Best time to go is on a weeknight and if you go early,  say right after sunset, you won't have problem.

Brookside Gardens is a great place to go anytime of the year. Any time of year there is just lovely and they always have something special going on such as the Wings of Fancy butterfly exhibit in the spring and summer months. Brookside is well worth the visit and should be on your list of places to take family and visitors when they come from out of town. But the Garden of Lights is the "place to be" for the next six weeks or so and would be the perfect outdoor event to get on your holiday calendar.