A renowned family-friendly event will return this year during the festive season.

Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas is back with a new route and new designs.

The autumn term is underway and businesses are already gearing up for Christmas, including Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey.

In 12 weeks’ time, the popular family attraction will open for 2024, "bigger, better and more beautiful than ever", according to the gardens, with organisers promising a "Christmas Wonderland" theme.

“We’re pulling out all the stops to make this the most brilliantly illuminated Christmas possible,” said co-directors Libby Battaglia and Lucinda Croft.

“Our designers have travelled to the ends of the Earth to find new technology and manufacturers to make their ideas a reality. These installations are made especially for Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas – you won’t see them anywhere else.”

As well as new light art to experience – including an opportunity to "walk on water" – Light Up Trails have worked with Sir Harold Hillier Gardens to design a new route through some of the UK’s most important botanical gardens.

Libby and Lucinda said: “The Hillier collections make the most amazing backdrop to our light art and this year, for the first time, the trail takes in the historic Centenary Border with Éclat Floral, a 'crimson bloomscape', and the interactive metallic touch stones of 'Chromatic Touch', as well as a new site for the old favourite, 'Written in the Stars', that will return with a screen that’s twice the size of the old one.

“Like we said – it’s bigger and better!”

What’s more, in recognition of the times we live in there will be a price freeze. Off-peak and peak tickets are the same price as last year, but there’s a new super peak ticket for a number of extra special nights when the light trail is enhanced by live entertainment in association with Steamship Circus. Mesmerising fire jugglers, larger-than-life characters and awesome aerial artistes are set to elevate the experience.

Libby and Lucinda said: “We can’t wait to share those Super Peak nights with people – mischief and magic will be in the air, and a lot of fun.

“Last year more than 72,000 people visited us and we learned a great deal from the feedback we received. For instance, we know a lot of our visitors see Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas as the first big family night out of the festive season so we’re going all out to make it one to remember.”

As a result of audience feedback, Light Up Trails has also revamped the food and drink menu to offer an even wider choice, and has made a host of further improvements such as the large marquee with covered and outdoor eating areas, more accessible pathways and viewpoints, installing wheelchair-friendly ramps to cover cables, more toilets with baby changing units and upgrading the lighting and signage in the car park.

There’s still time for schools to enter the Light Up Trails Schools Creative Competition to create a design that could be projected onto the large illuminated baubles as part of Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas. The winning design will be one of ten chosen to feature in the light trail, plus its designer will win a £1,000 prize for their school’s art department.

Find out more at lightuptrails.com.