How they make the Botanic Garden's light show
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Illuminated California poppies at Lightscape last year. Photo: Claire Trageser/Axios
The San Diego Botanic Garden is getting dressed up for the holidays, and it takes a massive glam squad to make the light show really shine.
The big picture: This is the Encinitas garden's fourth year featuring Lightscape, a mile-long trail that takes you through 15 different themed light installations.
- The show takes months of planning, multiple crews, miles of electrical cables and hours of work.
How it works: The art installations are designed by British artist Zoe Bottrell and her company Culture Creative, which also designs light shows around the world.
- Every year, the light installations are different, except for two fan favorites — the Winter Cathedral archway of lights and the illuminated California poppies.
- "It's all about light and working with the garden and the foliage and trees and just enhancing that natural aspect," Gregg Curtis told Axios.
- His company, The Aerial Studio, brings the designs to life.
By the numbers: It's not a Christmas miracle that Lightscape comes together — it's a lot of work. It takes:
- Four months of planning.
- Three weeks of installation.
- Six generators.
- Five to six miles of cables.
- Fifteen "audio zones" with speakers throughout.
What's new: Installations this year are meant to fit into the Botanic Gardens' natural environment. They include:
- Light Sphere: a giant ball with reflecting metal panels that refract light in all different directions.
- A swarm of lighted fireflies among the bamboo.
- A colored laser garden with fog.
- Triangulate: a prism of light you can walk through.
- Tree halos: bands of light wrapping around tree trunks.
Behind the scenes: Imagine the problems you have just getting your light-up reindeer to work and amplify that by 1,000. Curtis said there are always things that don't work exactly the way he wants.
- Light-up snowflakes are this year's "problem child," he said.
Friction point: In a way, you have to let the gardens decide how they will be decorated and work within their verdant realities, Curtis said.
- "Otherwise, you're fighting Mother Nature and she wins every single time," he said. "She's undefeated."
What they're saying: The light show brings in money for the nonprofit Botanic Garden and lets people know it exists, spokesperson Venice Henson told Axios.
- "I think close to 50% are people who know the garden and come every year," she said. "And then the other half are just brand new, seeing it for the first time. And so it's a huge draw for us."
The details: Lightscape opens Friday through Jan. 4. Tickets start at $28 for adults and $18 for children.