The San Antonio Botanical Garden is lighting up with a new concept called Illuminate for its annual holiday season light exhibition. Visitors can stroll through the garden after dark, guided by immersive light displays celebrating "the beauty of nature and cultural artistry," according to a press release. Illuminate will be open from November 29, 2024, to January 12, 2025.
Past efforts were called Lightscape, but Illuminate is created in collaboration with Tianyu Arts & Culture, a producer of Chinese lantern and other light shows. This partner is based in the United States, but it is a subsidiary of a company in China's Sichuan Province, giving it a strong claim to authenticity. A similar show called Tianyu Lights Festival has debuted in Dallas-Fort Worth this season.
Because the company specializes in lanterns, this show is different than a classic holiday lights display. Whereas a more standard show would draw 2D figures using individual string lights, these works are 3D sculptures made of translucent material and lit from the inside.
Some of the sculptures affect how people interact with the space.San Antonio Botanical Garden/Instagram
The subject matter is also entirely different. Santa is nowhere to be found, and these works instead focus on flowers, insects, fish, birds, and other wild animals. Some of the lights also decorate the architecture that divides garden sections.
An FAQ section of the website says the self-paced walk is "a little over a mile long." There will be vendors onsite for food and drinks, and the Garden Gift Shop will be open.
Tickets (starting at $23 for adults and $18 for kids) are available for entry times every 30 minutes from 5:30-9 pm. Once a party enters, they can stay until closing time. Illuminate is for visitors of all ages, but minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Parking is also available for an additional charge.
