Botanical Gardens and Christmas lights

Nellie I used to get into the Tenant's Hall at Tatton Park for free at Christmas when I lived in Manchester- by waiting on tables during the festivities.
It was a long draughty walk from the kitchen and the Cheshire set were not always the nicest guests to serve, but some of the older waitresses (70+ I kid you not) used to go behind the curtains with bootlegged drinks and could hardly walk by the end of the evening.

I remember taking GS to a Christmas event at our botanical gardens when he was very young. It was heaving, horribly commercial and none of us enjoyed it. They do have various nice arts events during the year which are worth attending, but thankfully seem to have given up on the Christmas one.

One choir I am in gets paid by by the National Trust to sing carols in Tatton House Knutsford way . We can admire the decor for free. The money the choir get usually goes to our local hospice. Most large NT houses do this and it's very popular.

There's only on street parking at the Botanics in Edinburgh (as illustrated in the OP). No charge after 6pm.
The illuminated garden is absolutely gorgeous and wandering about in it is a lovely change from the commercialised showground that the centre of Edinburgh has become.

It those prices look quite reasonable when you look at, say, the Chatsworth Christmas exhibition, though Chatsworth, these days, is a pricy day out at any time of the year, due in no small part to the enormous costs of upkeep of such a place.

Blimey Greyduster, I would have thought that at those ticket prices, you could have parked for free. But than I am a cheapskate.

Like you, Baggs I think it’s “bums on seats thing”. I have looked at their ticketing site and it is mostly sold out already, and at £16 for an adult ticket, £10 for a child, £48 for a family ticket and £7 to park your car, they are set to make a tidy bit. “Needs must when the Devil drives”.