As evening falls, the magic will begin during Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden this holiday season. Starting November 22 and running on select dates until Sunday, January 5, 2020, this immersive experience along a mile-long path will allow visitors to explore all of their senses, with moments of bold colors, festive fragrance, and whimsical sounds.
“Building off the successful holiday light shows curated by our partners that sold more than one million tickets last year across the U.K., we are excited to bring a festive world of wonder to the Garden that is tailored for enjoying with family and friends,” said Harriet Resnick, the Garden’s vice president of visitor experience and business development.
This is the U.S. debut of the following installations by artists from Australia and U.K.:
- Cathedral of Light—A towering cathedral-window arch of 100,000 lights that extends along a magnificent 110-foot tunnel.
- Fire Garden—Simple, festive, gently glimmering fire-filled sculptures fragrant with frankincense that create an area of contemplation.
- Singing Trees—Festooned with more than a half-mile of LED lights, ten large trees perform as a choir in harmony and light up individually as they sing a holiday favorite.
- Feast of Light—A large, immersive, walk-through experience with suspended strands of light to create feelings of presence and movement.
- Field of Light— A festive finale with thousands of points of light that dance their way to music in multiple patterns and colors.
Additionally, artists from the U.K. will create new installations just for the Chicago Botanic Garden that reimagine several Garden favorites, including:
- A canopy of 52 crabapple trees will “bloom” with twinkling lights along the Lakeside Gardens.
- 40 oversized colorfully lit tulips will appear in flower beds between the boxwood hedges throughout the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden.
- A cascade of water will be “turned on” in the Waterfall Garden.
To build upon the enjoyment of exploring color, imagination and sound, attendees will have the opportunity to toast marshmallows over a fire, sip hot chocolate or cider, get their eggnog fix and more at stations throughout the enchanting trail.
Lightscape is being produced in partnership with Sony Music, creatively produced by Culture Creative, and promoted in partnership with Arny Granat of WAD Entertainment. Visit chicagobotanic.org/lightscape for more information and to purchase tickets.
About Chicago Botanic Garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 27 distinct gardens and four natural areas. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply; parking fees apply. Located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, IL, the Garden is smoke free. Opened to the public in 1972, the Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society, accredited by the American Association of Museums and a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA).
About Sony Music
Sony Music, via its wholly owned subsidiary Raymond Gubbay Ltd, is recognized as being at the forefront of promoting and producing Light Trail events in the United Kingdom. Sony Music regularly works with distinguished venues and organizations such as the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, Blenheim Palace, the National Trust, Forestry Commission and the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. For further details about Light Trails in the U.K. visit www.mychristmastrails.co.uk.
About Culture Creative
Culture Creative is a creative project and production management company based in the U.K. The Company works across a wide-range of cultural fields including art, sport, heritage, tourism, festivals and events, developing projects from concept to delivery. For more information, visit: www.culturecreative.co.uk.
