ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) — The San Diego Botanic Garden will be illuminated with thousands of lights beginning Friday evening. The annual Lightscape Holiday Show is returning, and ABC 10News reporter Natay Holmes got a sneak peek this morning.
The event nearly sold out last year, and organizers are hoping even more people will flock to the gardens this holiday season.
According to the garden's data, more than 113,000 people toured the grounds for the Lightscape Show in 2022. This year, organizers are hoping visitors will come out once again.
There are new installations that are breathtaking in the night.
The Lightscape featuring dazzling displays stretching a mile that bring the garden to life at night.
"Lightscape is something we bring to the garden to showcase international artists who are working in light but also trying to enhance the botanic garden," a garden spokesperson told 10News.
This year, there are 18 different installations, and they're all coordinated to different music selections.
"We are in an installation called floraison. All around us you can see these hanging poppies. They were specifically made for the San Diego Botanic Garden," the spokesperson says.
The garden's grounds are 37 acres, giving visitors ample space to explore different part of the world right here in North County.
"We have an interesting topography that allows us to have different microclimates. We have a rainforest. We have a desert garden. We have several desert gardens," the spokesperson says.
The property also has a conservatory for plants that aren't necessarily able to thrive outside. A smart building on site can control the temperature, the amount of shade and sunlight, and the moisture in the air.
"This is where we showcase some of the most rare, and some quite expensive, plants in our collection. Year round there is something in bloom. We have our cocoa plant there, we have what we call our corpse plant there," according to the spokesperson.
The botanic garden is home to hundreds of species of plants. Leaders there are encouraging visitors to slow down and take in everything it has to offer.
"It really is a refuge for people who want to get close to nature, learn about plants and really be inspired about what grows naturally around the world," the spokesperson says. "I think that's what really key and different about the botanic garden: You can pretend you're in a different segment of the world because of the plants around you."
Lightscape will run for a total of 35 nights, ending on Jan. 1, 2024. Everyone is invited beginning the evening of Friday, Nov. 17. The gates open at 5 p.m.
You can find tickets by following this link.
