An array of handsome hues illuminate the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s “Garden Lights, Holiday Nights” event, but people who bought Groupon vouchers to visit the light show are mainly seeing red.
The Garden has had to turn away countless visitors without advance reservations to the second annual holiday light show on nights when it has reached capacity of 4,500, and people queuing up with Groupon vouchers have been among those turned away.
In response to several posted complaints on its Facebook page, the garden responded that a voucher is not a ticket and has encouraged Groupon holders to redeem their vouchers for an advance reservation either in person or via a special phone number, 1-855-454-6849.
However, it acknowledged in Facebook responses on Thursday that the phone number was not available when the Groupon vouchers were sold in October.
Voucher holders complained about the lack of clear instructions from Groupon or the garden about advance reservations and the manner in which they were turned away.
But garden spokeswoman Sabina Carr said Thursday afternoon that they should have read the fine print, which say tickets are “subject to availability.”
“It worried us that we would have this situation,” she acknowledged. “It really was just overwhelming, especially last night. It was extremely difficult to manage when people don’t read the details of the fine print and they just come, assuming the Groupon would get them in when we never said it would.”
The Groupon vouchers originally could be redeemed for 17 “non-peak” (Mondays-Wednesdays) nights starting Nov. 19. Just two more nights of validity remain from the original offer.
However, Carr said garden leaders decided Thursday morning to additionally make the vouchers eligible for redemption from Dec. 26 every night until the show closes on Jan. 5. She said Groupon would e-mail all voucher holders about the new arrangement Thursday afternoon.
The garden is also increasing its capacity for the event from 4,500 to 5,000 nightly.
“Which worries us,” Carr said. “Our parking deck won’t be able to handle everyone.”
Even for those with advance reservations, “Garden Lights’” popularity has made it a challenge to navigate. Traffic has jammed many nights at the garden’s Piedmont Avenue entrance and the garden’s parking deck has frequently filled.
The bottleneck on its two-lane entry road has delayed the arrival of some guests more than a half-hour and has pushed some to park in the Ansley Park neighborhood, where public parking is limited, or elsewhere down Piedmont Avenue. At times, it’s taken more than 10 minutes in line for those with tickets to clear the entry gate.
Launched last year, “Garden Lights” far exceeded garden officials’ projections of attendance between 25,000 and 40,000, drawing 106,000. It appears tracking to top that number this year.
If you are considering a visit before the show closes Jan. 5 with or without a Groupon voucher, garden officials strongly suggest advance reservations. The best availability is early in the week. If you attend on a “peak” night later in the week, they advise arrival around nightfall, to ensure getting a parking deck space, though parking also becomes available later in the night as the first wave of visitors departs.
“Garden Lights, Holiday Nights” is open 5 to 10 p.m. nightly. Admission Thursdays-Sundays: $20; $14 ages 3-12; free under 3. Mondays-Wednesdays: $17; $11 ages 3-12. Parking: $5. 1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. 1-855-454-6849, www.tickets.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
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