One of our favorite holiday traditions, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens' Lights in Bloom, is back. The self-guided show runs through Jan. 3 with more than 2 million lights illuminating the gardens' 15-acre downtown Sarasota campus, plus kids' games, balloon art and face painting, food and drink (including a cash bar) and holiday-themed photo opportunities. Selby Gardens' Green Orchid will also be serving a special holiday menu from 5-9 p.m. each evening. 

Local photographer Damon Powers recently documented this year's Lights in Bloom. His photographs of the gardens' tropical foliage, combined with the cheerful glow of the holiday lights, are an antidote to the doom-and-gloom news cycle—a reminder of how unique living in Sarasota is during the winter season. 

Lights in Bloom is open at Selby Gardens' downtown Sarasota campus on select nights through Jan. 3, with early entry at 5:30 p.m., general entry at 6:30 p.m., and last entry at 8 p.m. Early entry tickets are $44 for non-members, $39 for members, $24 for kids ages 5-17 and free for children age 4 and under. General admission tickets are $34 for non-members, $39 for members, $24 for kids ages 5-17 and free for children 4 and under. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to selby.org.