Chris McKeown
| Special to The Enquirer
Video: PNC Festival of Lights 2025 at the Cincinnati Zoo
The PNC Festival of Lights is open at the Cincinnati Zoo now through Jan. 4, 2026. Here’s what you can expect from the annual holiday tradition.
A membership to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden offers year-round events for all ages.Several Ohio flower festivals, including tulips and peonies, can make for a great day or weekend trip.Other potential garden-themed trips include Lilyfest in Hocking Hills and a lavender festival in McConnelsville.
When we get into the holiday season, I truly enjoy all of the traditions in my life. As I’ve gotten older, I have noticed a trend in my life that some of my traditions are self-created. These are things that involve great memories. Some are initiated to create new memories.
These articles I write leading up to the holidays have become traditions too. I like helping you select a Christmas tree. I like recommending holiday flowers because I know flowers create happiness. Continuing the traditional article trend, here are my suggestions for potential gifts for gardeners in your life. This year’s selections are a bit out-of-the-norm compared to past suggestions for gardening tools and books.
For people of all ages, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has many options. For years, families have been receiving zoo memberships as a gift for the entire family. Depending on the membership level you choose, this gift will never stop giving until the end of the year. The zoo is offering memberships at discounted prices through Dec. 31.
Beyond the zoo membership, the Cincinnati Zoo has a full calendar of events throughout the year. There are events for people of all ages. These events range from being strictly social to some of the most popular education events in our region. You could make plans for yourself and your favorite gardeners to attend one or more of these events. You can get more information about all of these events on the zoo’s website.
Many of us have that special friend or relative that we like to travel with. If they love to garden in addition to traveling, you could plan a garden-related trip to take together. These are all located in places where you could plan a day trip. A weekend trip would give you more time to experience all these small towns have to offer.
In April, there is a Tulip Festival at Timbuk Farms in Granville, Ohio. Timbuk offers a breathtaking display of 500,000 tulips as you walk through. Timbuk Farms offers other activities such as family-friendly games and rides for kids, live music on the weekends and food trucks on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You can even pick tulips to take home with you. Exact festival dates are dependent upon the time of the tulips blooming, so check the Timbuk website and social media channels before traveling.
Van Wert in northeast Ohio is home to a peony festival on the first Friday and Saturday of June. A car show, live music, food trucks and the children’s fishing derby are all on the agenda of this festival, which celebrated 50 years in 2025. Enjoy midway games and rides to complete the festival feel. Don’t miss the Grand Parade and a stop by the vendor fair for local shopping.
Hocking Hills is a very popular travel destination in Ohio. From July 10-12 they host Lilyfest. It is held on 3 acres at the Bishop Educational Gardens in Rockbridge. In addition to the garden, there are 60 arts and crafts vendors. Enjoy activities for kids, live music and food. Guided nature hikes will be offered too.
If you would like a trip full of beautiful sights and amazing fragrances, attend the Bellavenue Manor Lavender Festival in McConnelsville on Aug. 15. Enjoy lavender-infused drinks, food and themed crafts, participate in fun lavender workshops or kick back and enjoy the atmosphere with live music. Be sure to stop into the Belleavenue Manor shop for handmade gifts and goods.
You can gain more specific information related to these events with a simple internet search. Before you schedule, please remember that the peak time to attend these festivals can be affected by the weather related to the timing of the blooms.
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