Thanksgiving point is located 25 minutes, or about 17 miles, northwest of Nomen Global language school. It is a fun place to visit during any season of the year with special events or ongoing activities year round, and eating establishments in the complex and the surrounding area. The highlight going into the winter season is an event called Luminaria, held mid-November through January 1st. Luminaria is a celebration of the Christmas season using thousands of lights, with accompanying music to go with the different light shows taking place all throughout the Ashton gardens in Thanksgiving Point. Included as part of this event is the Light of the World Garden full of many large bronze statues portraying different events in the life of Christ as related in the Bible and a beautiful nativity scene. In addition, there are food stands where you can buy anything from hot dogs or soup to donuts and hot chocolate, and kettle corn or waffles. You can even buy a s’more kit (ingredients to make s’mores—graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars) and roast your own marshmallows over a fire pit. On New Year’s Eve, a fireworks show takes place.
One of my favorite events at Thanksgiving Point is the Tulip Festival. The entire Thanksgiving Point Garden areas are filled with vibrant colored tulips. The 2021 Tulip Festival boasted more than 300,000 tulips planted. The displays of tulips and other spring flowers are breathtaking. If you love flowers, this is an even you won’t want to miss.
After the tulip festival, the gardens bloom the rest of the summer. You can enjoy nature in the beautiful gardens all summer and fall. There are also concerts and other events held in or around the amphitheater located inside the gardens.
Besides the gardens, there are other fun places to visit within the Thanksgiving Point complex. If you have children, you might take them to the Museum of Natural Curiosity or Farm Country. The Museum of Natural Curiosity is filled with interactive exhibits that will keep children entertained for hours, but not just entertained. These are educational exhibits that encourage curiosity and learning. At the south end of Thanksgiving Point is another kid-friendly venue called Farm Country. It is considered a working farm and children can pet and feed animals. If you go at the right time, they can help milk a cow or gather eggs from the chickens. And in the spring, they might be able to help feed baby animals. There are also pony rides, and for the whole family, wagon rides.
Another great place for discovery at Thanksgiving Point is the Museum of Ancient Life. Here you can see displays of many different dinosaur skeletons and enjoy other interactive exhibits. There are paleontologists that work in a lab in the museum and you can see real dinosaur bones that they are uncovering. They also offer paleontology classes. If you like films about dinosaurs, nature or space you can visit the Mammoth Screen Theater inside the Museum, where you will experience movies in 3D.
And finally, there is the Butterfly Biosphere where you can see butterflies of different species from various parts of the world. Enjoy dozens of beautiful butterflies. For an additional cost, you can participate in releasing a butterfly or take a tour of the butterfly lab.
In addition to the existing venues found within Thanksgiving Point, there are events that take place throughout the year such as concerts, a Hawaiian luau, and festivals. To learn more, visit: thanksgivingpoint.org.