‘Moonlight Forest' to Again Glow at LA Arboretum

The ethereal Arcadia attraction will be back for the 2019 holiday season.

What to Know

  • Nov. 9, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020 (Wednesday through Sunday)
  • 5:30 to 10 p.m. (timed entry)
  • $28 adults, $25 seniors, $25 students, $23 children; tickets available beginning Oct. 15

The days are getting shorter, though we wouldn't exactly know that at first glance, or, rather, at first sweat, thanks to the extreme heat and copious amounts of sunshine.

But as night creeps in a little earlier with each passing 24-hour cycle, we know what's coming: the holidays.

Well, not yet, not nearly, so don't pop off just yet on how Halloween hasn't even happened (but that, too, is on the wicked wind). But the major Christmastime attractions around Southern California are starting to reveal their dates, ticket prices, and some advance details, if you want to start making tinsel-covered plans with your season-loving squad.

Look to Arcadia, and the LA Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, where the ethereal and twinkly "Moonlight Forest" will again make a shimmery splash.

The after-sundown spectacular famously brims with picturesque lanterns, lovely light sources convey all sorts of whimsical shapes drawn from nature and the imagination.

The popular event is returning for a two-month run on Nov. 9, 2019. When to see it? Wednesday through Sunday evenings, and, yep, tickets will again be timed. (Those will available on Oct. 15, so there's another thing to add to your having-fun calendar.)

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The theme for 2019, and early 2020, is a dual delight: Polar Dreams and Ocean Visions.

You can bet that "playful penguins and cuddly sled dogs" will feature prominently in the first section, while sharks and such will "swim" into the area devoted to a sparkly interpretation of the sea and some of its most iconic critters.

So, for sure: The displays will be fresh, if you visited in 2018, and the interactive element will be strong.

But will you really step inside the mouth of a huge shark? Even if it has a gleeful glow to it?

Think of the amazing Christmas card photo possibilities.

"Moonlight Forest" twinkles from Nov. 9 through Jan. 12.

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