If you haven't experienced the Garden d'Lights Festival at the Bellevue Botanical garden, you're missing out on an brilliant holiday experience. From Nov. 27 through Jan. 1, the garden is ablaze with thousands of plants, flowers & animals, all created from strings of lights. The light total is over a half-million now, & dedicated volunteers created each artistic piece.

This year, a tortoise will join Charlotte in her web, Willie the slug (complete with slime trail) & the 30 or so other animals throughout the garden.

Tickets cost $5 per person. babies 10 & more youthful are free. Entry is free on a variety of nights, but you still must reserve a ticket & have it with you to enter the garden. For information or to reserve tickets, visit www.gardendlights.org.

Not surprisingly, Garden d'Lights has become so popular that the organizers of the festival are limiting the number of visitors that will be allowed in each night. To gain entry to Garden d'Lights, you now must reserve a ticket in advance.