‘Lightscape' to Glow Again at LA Arboretum

Trees can sometimes sing — or, rather, the arboreal earthlings seem to possess a mystical voice when wind ripples through their leaves — and as for giving off a glow?

Stately oaks, pines, and cedars can do just that, if the sun is in a perfect position.

But there are a few fanciful spots where trees really do glow, thanks to human-made lighting, and the voices you hear? Those come courtesy of artfully hidden speakers.

"Lightscape" is just the sweet and surreal experience that brings the natural world to life, a holidaytime treat that marries the outdoors to an ethereal sense of the season.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens event, a nightly offering that gives guests a chance to roam through the Arcadia landmark after dark, proved to be quite popular in 2021, thanks to the colorful glowing trees at the entrance, the bright and oversized lake flowers, and, oh yes, a forest full of sprouting mirrorballs, the kind found in discos (and almost never in wooded areas).

Now "Lightscape" is set to shimmer again, and you won't have to wait too long after the glow of your Halloween jack o'lanterns goes away: It opens on Nov. 11, and the glow will go through the holidays, concluding on Jan. 8.

Members of the garden can score a ticket during the pre-sale window, which is now open. The general public?

Look to Aug. 10 to purchase your admission.

If you are a member, or become one before the pre-sale ends, you can save $3 on a ticket through Aug. 9 (and skip the service fee, too).

The eveningtime to-do presents "dazzling displays of color, light, and sound" at the expansive, open-air property, with flora, water, and vintage structures all adding to the uplifting atmosphere.

Guests encounter a number of distinct, and distinctive, displays along the route, illuminated installations that are whimsical, wondrous, a touch wintry, and a little holiday-ish, too.

Though we say "holiday-ish" in the most general sense; there are no snowmen to be seen here, nor reindeer, just happy hues, thrilling tunes, and the impressive art of weaving inventive lighting and sound through a botanical world.

So, yes: Trees may sing, and glow, and shimmer with a little help from innovative, art-minded humans, meaning that guests will encounter the strange and spectacular side of the season while larking through "Lightscape."

All the information is shimmering at the LA Arboretum's site now.