BOOTHBAY, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens will be putting on their Gardens Aglow again this year, but this time locals are getting involved.
This will be the first year for the Gardens Aglow Lighting Contest that Boothbay Craft Brewery owner, Win Mitchell, decided to take part in. He's calling the brewery's display the Tree of Ales because of the blue and pink lights they strung up to look like the Tree of Souls from the Avatar movie.
"It's been refreshing to see all the businesses work together to showcase what we have going on down here on the peninsula," said Mitchell.
His light display is one of several in the Boothbay area that are competing in the Gardens Aglow Lighting Contest as part of the Boothbay Festival of Lights. Winners will be announced on December 7th during a special community showing. First place will take home $2,500, second wins $1,000, and third place takes home $500. Mitchell is hoping he'll be at the top of the judges list after seeing how well last year's Gardens Aglow was received.
"It was a new event and they only expected 5,000 visitors for the whole month and they got over 36,000 the first year. It was impressive, we went down and the light show was just so magical."
Residents and businesses have until November 29 to enter the lighting contest. For more information, click here.