After more than three months of preparation, Longwood Gardens has officially kicked off its spectacular holiday light show, writes Anthony Wood for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

It took more than 300 employees working around the clock to set up 40 miles of wire and 500,000 LED bulbs in time for the grand opening.

Longwood’s Christmas light show attracts up to 450,000 visitors annually, and its 49th iteration is poised to be just as popular.

The theme for this year is Fire and Ice. Longwood spokesperson Trish Evans describes it as “lots of fiery red and ambers to cool blues and icy whites.”

The light show is poised to look fantastic thanks to advancements in technology.

“They can make a lot of more colors,” said Troy Sellers, Longwood’s outdoor landscape manager. “Colors have got truer.”

Another important element is that they are more environmentally friendly, as they consume 80 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than their traditional counterparts.

Visitors will also enjoy the 90-foot decorated hickory in the meadow, a 200-foot-long tunnel of light, and the conservatory in its seasonal dress.

Read more about Longwood Gardens in The Philadelphia Inquirer.