ASHEVILLE — The North Carolina Arboretum had just more than six weeks after Tropical Storm Helene wreaked havoc and downed thousands of trees on its 434-acre campus to try and pull off its biggest annual fundraiser, Winter Lights, but the team pulled it off.

Though there was some uncertainty whether the event would take place this year after Helene, Winter Lights opened Nov. 15, one of Western North Carolina’s first signal of a return to the traditions and routines families took part in prior to Helene’s floods Sept. 27.

According to Drake Fowler, the North Carolina Arboretum’s executive director, when the Arboretum team made it back to the site to assess the damage, there were roughly 600 downed trees near the entrance alone.

“Two days after the storm, horticulture showed up and basically with chainsaws, they cut into our property,” Fowler said. “The first thing they did was clear Wesley Branch Road, which was pretty much blocked. The community was out cheering them on, and that allowed supplies to get in to us.”

In all, Fowler and the Arboretum team estimate there are roughly 10,000 downed trees throughout the property.

Return of Winter Lights ‘a huge milestone’ for Arboretum

Due to the extensive damage, Fowler said staff wondered whether Winter Lights would be able to go on.

“There was definitely some doubt whether we were going to even have a chance at a show,” Fowler said. “But with the Army Corps’ help, and with just our staff, we repurposed staff and people that normally do not hang Christmas lights were hanging Christmas lights to make it happen. So, it’s a huge milestone for our organization.”

Fowler said the Arboretum staff typically begins preparing for Winter Lights the first week of September, but Helene forced the team to start over again, having only six weeks of prep time, compared to the usual 10 to 12 weeks.

Winter Lights accounts for 25% of the nonprofit organization’s operating income, Fowler said.

“So, in a way, we had to have the show move forward.”

Winter Lights is in its 11th season and will run through Dec. 31.

Winter Lights is a walk-through experience in and around the gardens and admission is per vehicle. Tickets are $40 per vehicle. According to the Arboretum, 428 tickets were sold Saturday night, with about three to four people per vehicle.

Fowler said Winter Lights is an important tradition for a lot of families during the holidays, and affords people an opportunity to participate in customs that feel familiar, even if this year may feel different than years past.

“I think just not having one other thing cancelled was a great relief to a lot of people in the community,” he said. “There’s certain things that just aren’t open. It’s an outdoor walking show, it feels good to be outside and be with other people in an area that just kind of feels normal.

“A big part of our emphasis is, ‘Let’s make this a joyful event.’ For the most part, we just want it to be an escape, a place to feel normal and celebrate the holidays.”

That’s exactly what Saturday night’s show was for hundreds of visitors. Under a full moon, kids squealed at thousand-light displays and ran through sparkling tunnels.

Below a shining Christmas tree, Jessica Shelton sat with her daughter Reese, who sipped hot chocolate. Shelton and her husband brought their three kids to the Arboretum to celebrate their six-year-old son’s birthday.

“It’s just nice to have a little joy after all the area has experienced,” said Shelton, who said their home did not sustain damage from Helene.

Nearby, visitors wrote down their wishes for the holiday on paper and hung them like ornaments on small fir trees.

Be kind. Play soccer. Have Fun. one read. Another wish: PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF WNC.

The Arboretum staff has been intentional about incorporating the experience of Helene into this year’s Winter Lights event.

“We had these beautiful Lacebark Elms that came down in the hurricane, and we’ve left them as basically like a tribute, and we’ve lit them with white light for hope,” Fowler said. “Our staff took some of the debris, and there’s a great photo opportunity that says, ‘Our roots run deep,’ and there’s a big heart made out of the wood rounds that we’ve collected.”

Beginning Oct. 28, the Arboretum welcomed guests back to the main gardens, its Education Center and Baker Exhibit Center. 

Winter Lights allows guests to walk through gardens once again

While trails remain closed, Winter Lights offers attendees the opportunity to take part in a walking tour of the gardens, though.

This year’s Winter Lights theme is the four seasons.

“The sub-theme is that this area is strong and resilient, and we’re moving forward,” the executive director said.

According to Fowler, part of the show is typically focused on nature and seeing the gardens in a new light.

“We try to make the show really artful,” Fowler said. “There are some traditional elements, but a lot of times we’re trying to do new things and just bring different kinds of colors that you wouldn’t typically see in a holiday show.”

Families impacted, displaced by Helene are honored

Additionally, Winter Lights has rolled out a program to honor local families impacted or displaced by Helene, Share the Wonder.

“For folks who are out of town, or for people who are here and maybe want to pay it forward, you can buy tickets and we’re working with local nonprofits to get those to families that were impacted by Helene,” Fowler said.

“So, you can buy a ticket for some family that wouldn’t normally be able to come, or who has been displaced. For staff to figure out all the logistics out and the IT behind it, and come up with a great name, it’s just really fantastic.”

As Saturday night went on, volunteer and “fire rover” Jim Sparks sat by one fire pit watching the crowd.

“I’m amazed that this looks as good as it does, given how bad things are and have been,” said Sparks, who has volunteered at the event with his wife the last three years.

Their reason for coming back and volunteering?

“Because we’re grandparents, and our grandkids are in Boston,” he said. Winter Lights at the Arboretum — and church — he said, are the places filled with families that remind them of their own.

Bridget Fogarty is a journalist with the USA TODAY Network reporting for the Asheville Citizen Times in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.