A Cavalcade of Colors

Visited: November 2021

Whenever I hear there’s going to be an event that includes more than one million lights (a few more than we put on our house during the holidays), it piques my curiosity. So, when it was announced that the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia would host Lightscape, a show that originated in London, Tracy and I immediately purchased tickets.

The gates opened promptly at 5:30 p.m. (our reserved time), so we decided we’d take a couple of laps around the roughly mile-long path of this historic property, which had transformed its various fauna into a cavalcade of color, lights and sound. The artistic installations illuminating the grounds and flora made the Arboretum appear even more spectacular.

As Arboretum members, we have visited numerous times during the day enjoying the 127 acres of gorgeous gardens and precocious peacocks …

… and, we love listening to Michael Feinstein and the Pasadena POPS as we picnic under the summer stars …

… but this would be only our second nighttime winter adventure (a few years ago we visited for the magnificent Moonlight Forest/Magic Lantern Art Festival … two photos below).

Richard Schulhof, CEO of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, summed Lightscape up best, “It’s an immersive light experience where you have technology meeting nature’s beauty in the form of the incredible botanical diversity of this place.”

With the sound of a strong wind blowing (from hidden speakers), we started out with what we surmised to be teepees.

In a Johnny Cash moment, we found ourselves at a Ring of Fire. The Fire Garden is actually, as the Arboretum describes, “made up of dozens of silver tin cans that are set on poles or on circular structures that look like jungle gyms. Flames rise from each can, creating a tranquil and almost meditative atmosphere.” With all that fire, I was glad the wind we heard was only from the speakers.

Strolling along we recognized the theme song from Mission Impossible. This seemed a little out of place until we glanced down at the pavement. More than 100 television shows and movies have been filmed at the Arboretum, including an episode of the old Mission Impossible TV show. We walked by that star quickly just in case it self-destructed in 5 seconds.  We were on total Cruise control.

Also filmed here was the TV show Fantasy Island. I knew I should have gotten a Tattoo before we came (more on Fantasy Island at the Arboretum later). Other notable episodes from shows like Sea Hunt, Daniel Boone, Wonder Woman, Dallas, Dynasty and more were shot here.

There were a bunch of swinging Tarzan movies shot at the Prehistoric Forest that we’d visit later in the evening. The Arboretum was used for five of Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan movies.

The only reason I walked in here was to see how well the zipper on my vest lit up.

Sometimes the walk could be a little prickly.  Hey, is it trying to tell me something?

The next part of our Arboretum adventure took us into the dimension of sight and the dimension of sound, and we didn’t even need Rod Serling to tell us. The Three Amigos might have had their Singing Bush …

… but Lightscape gives you Singing Trees. Twelve large Redwood Trees wrapped in LED lights. As the Arboretum states, “The lights respond to recordings of angelic singing voices and rise and drop with each note, creating an arboreal choir.” I must say it was very cool, and the music was quite relaxing.

Paths were lit and changed colors frequently.

But there was no time to relax as we continued through various installations, many of them playing Christmas music, and even a few sporting Christmas ornaments which reminded us it’s almost time to search for ours in the garage.

Channeling our inner Tiny Tim (the ukulele guy, not the Christmas Carol kid), we tiptoed past the tulips, which rose 20 feet in the air.

With the full moon rising on the horizon, The Winter Cathedral (aka The Cathedral Of Light) beckoned in the distance.

100,000 tiny white LED lights illuminate a “tunnel installation shaped like arched windows found in churches.”

Last year, at the Chicago Lightscape, 50 proposals were made inside the Cathedral Of Light. 

After walking out of the light and into the darkness illuminated by palm trees …

… the famed Queen Anne Cottage loomed ahead. Queen Anne Cottage was built in 1885-86, and, of course, is where Mr. Roarke (aka Ricardo Montalbán) welcomed his guests to Fantasy Island. Tonight the house was a fantasy of color.

If one wanted a libation or a bite, a few of these spots dotted the path.