THE HOLIDAY MAGIC GLISTENS Moody Gardens® Celebrates the Fifth Annual Festival of Lights

Santa Claus will abandon his reindeer and sleigh in lieu of a parachute as he skydives into Moody Gardens® on November 18. Upon touchdown Santa will flip on more than a million twinkling lights and dozens of light displays to kick off the fifth annual Festival of Lights that runs through January 6. Drawing more than 60,000 people each year, the festival transforms the 242-square-acre lush, tropical garden setting into a merry winter menagerie of illumination.

Galveston, Texas (PRWEB) November 1, 2006 -- Santa Claus will abandon his reindeer and sleigh in lieu of a parachute as he skydives into Moody Gardens® on November 18. Upon touchdown Santa will flip on more than a million twinkling lights and dozens of light displays to kick off the fifth annual Festival of Lights that runs through January 6. Drawing more than 60,000 people each year, the festival transforms the 242-square-acre lush, tropical garden setting into a merry winter menagerie of illumination.

Guests can also skate across the ice at the Outdoor Ice Rink at Moody Gardens® and enjoy holiday music performed by area bands. Santa will be available for photo ops and so will the Gardens' giant poinsettia tree.

Moody Gardens® will show a variety of holiday-themed films during the festival. The IMAX Nutcracker® 3D and Santa vs. the Snowman in IMAX® 3D will be screened at the IMAX ® 3D theater. Polar Express will also be shown at the IMAX ® 3D theater as well as the 4D Special FX Theater with the added surprise of real snow in the 4D theater. In addition, guests can strap on their seat belts and experience Santa's Late and Glacier Run at the Ridefilm Theater.

The Garden Restaurant will offer a holiday buffet from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Several special holiday packages are also available for groups of 30 or more that can include luxury bus transportation, event admission and the holiday buffet.

Special Festival of Lights packages are also available at the Moody Gardens Hotel throughout the duration of the festival. The packages include a room for two and two Festival of Lights tickets. Rates start at $139 per night plus tax, Sunday to Thursday, and $159 per night plus tax, Friday and Saturday.

Family Packages are available at our Galveston hotel from December 15-30. Rooms will begin at $169 per night plus tax and gratuity, Sunday to Thursday, and $199 per night plus tax and gratuity, Friday and Saturday. The Family Package includes a room for four and four Festival of Lights tickets, plus a holiday character breakfast for four, two holiday plush toys at check-in and a special child's turn-down with Christmas stocking.

Families may purchase an additional "Kids Pack" for $10 that includes an extra plush toy, turn-down with Christmas stocking and Festival of Lights ticket.

While staying in the hotel, kids can participate in a variety of activities. They can decorate picture frames, make ornaments and frost cookies at Santa's Workshop, located on the hotel's second floor. Sunny the Penguin and Rowdy the Christmas Clown also make regular visits to paint faces and create balloon animals.

For more information, please call Moody Gardens® at 800-582-4673 or visit us at http://www.moodygardens.org.

Moody Gardens® is a public, non-profit, educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation, and research.

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