Have you walked by the Botanical Gardens lately and wondered why the trees were lit up in purple, orange and green? Well, that’s because they have recently set up a “Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed trail.
Just in time for Halloween, Christmas and the film’s anniversary, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Light Trail is a fun and spooky-themed walking trail for fans of the movie. Visually, it’s a beautiful atmosphere that you’d want to take your time with, especially at night.
Refreshments, food and sweet treats were offered, in theme with Halloween and Christmas festivities. Apple cider donuts, pumpkin meringue tart and black and white cookies were some of the offerings they had for sweets.
When you approach the trail, you may jump at the huge projection of spiderwebs and evil pumpkin shadows within the trees. What makes them so terrifying is that, at first glance, you may not notice them until you see their size and movement.
The trail starts once you enter a huge lit-up pumpkin, surrounded by the sound of bats flying, lights flashing in tune to the music and “This Is Halloween” playing from the speakers as you walk amongst the townspeople.
As you walk through Halloween Town, you will find yourself stopping at recognizable characters of the film. You’ll be able to pause, look and take pictures with your favorite characters, including Jack Skellington, Sally and the Pumpkin King.
Each statue had unique decorations, such as a graveyard, red-colored bats and other familiar faces and decorations. The Mayor’s statue was the most unique, as his face changed from happy to sad in real-time whenever you approached him.
After a while, Halloween Town’s dark and gothic decorations transform into the happy and bright lights of Christmas Town; presents, Christmas trees and a much happier atmosphere. You’ll even get the chance to spot Sandy Claws before he gets taken to Halloween Town.
As you walk through Christmas Town, you’ll be able to find normalcy. However, remnants of Halloween Town can still be found. Jack seems to have made it to Christmas Town in time to be dressed in his Sandy Claws outfit and built like a snowman.
But of course, we still manage to get caught by the villain Oogie Boogie and his three little henchmen. His statue is by far the largest, masked in lighting that represents the spinning wheel that usually determines a person’s fate. It’s so huge, that you’re almost afraid to step too close in fear of having him decide your fate.
But my favorite part of the trail came at the end. We see the two main characters who we admire the most: Jack and Sally. We see their relationship fully blossomed as they are locked in a passionate dance, encompassing the romance and happiness that Sally yearns for throughout the movie.
For fans of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” this is a light trail you don’t want to miss. There was no cheap effort by NYBG to capture the magic. The attention to detail in recreating the character designs was so good, it looked like they stepped straight out of the movie. The Botanical Gardens truly outdid itself in recreating the magic and beauty of the film.
When I attended the trail, I knew I was among true fans of the film. People were dressed in “The Nightmare Before Christmas” merch, cosplayed as characters and singing along to the music as they walked along.
In my opinion, the best time to visit the trail is during the nighttime. If you’re looking to forget about the stresses of finals or happen to be a big fan, you can head out at any time between 4-10 p.m. The light trail will be open until Dec. 1, and you can buy tickets online for any time slot. I really enjoyed my time on the light trail and I highly recommend it to all!
