The Maine Office of Tourism (MOT) has announced that Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ seasonal event, Gardens Aglow, is the 2018 recipient of the Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program’s (MTMPP) Special Event Grant. The intent of the grant program is to fund major events that have an impact on travel to at least two or more regions and generate national or international press coverage for Maine. The events must demonstrate multi-regional or statewide economic impact by drawing tourism-related activities to the state from beyond our borders as well as internally.

According to a statement released by the MOT, “The Gardens Aglow event has been a model for attracting visitors during the shoulder season in Maine’s MidCoast.” Including cross-promotion with Boothbay Lights, the coordinated marketing plan aims to bring over 90,000 visitors to the Boothbay peninsula region during late November and December, 2018.

“Because of this generous opportunity, we’ll be able to tap into markets where the state of Maine advertises, markets already familiar with the Visit Maine brand, such as Philadelphia, Charlotte, Hartford, and Baltimore,” says CMBG Director of Marketing, Kris Folsom. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for the Boothbay peninsula,” she continues. “With more visitors coming ‘from away’, we anticipate that a considerable percentage of the projected 93,000 visitors will dine, shop, and spend the night locally.”

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ seasonal event, Gardens Aglow, features more than 500,000 LED lights, transforming its central gardens into the state’s largest light display. The event celebrates its fourth year in 2018 and runs Nov. 15-Dec. 31, Thursday-Sunday.