ALONG COMES MARY

The holiday season is officially here and I couldn’t be happier. I love everything about Christmastime. The lights, trees, characters, festivities, and especially seeing the magic through the eyes of my Mabel. When we were invited to check out the opening night of Lightscape at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, I knew it would be special.

Lightscape has toured in several cities since its launch in 2019. The Arboretum is an ideal space to host it once again in Los Angeles. Since I grew up loving the historical gardens, I was excited to take Mabel (and Mike, too) for their first visit. I had not been since their Moonlight Forest event in 2019.

Lightscape at the LA County Arboretum

Once the sun goes down and the moon comes up, Lightscape turns on millions of festive lights to literally brighten the way. The Arboretum felt like a magical forest as we walked through and took in the awe of one stunning spectacle after another. Areas like their famous lagoon where Tarzan and Katy Perry music videos have been filmed come to life among bright, colorful lights.

Festive Christmas music played everywhere. Each section had fun names like the Winter Cathedral. There were so many lights and displays to walk through. I appreciated that Lightscape is a one-way trail. This made the tour extremely organized knowing we only had one direction to go. With a toddler in tow, it took a lot of pulling and tugging out. If Mabel saw something in the distance she just had to see, we told her we needed to stay on our path and would eventually get there.

In addition to holiday tunes, it was a big hit when we reached an array of lit-up, life-size stars. As they blinked and brightened, they played music from Edward Scissorhands. One of Mabel’s most favorite movies right now. We pulled off here to enjoy our hot cocoa and take in the magic.

Arriving at Lightscape. (c) Michael Farah

Lights galore. (c) Mary Farah

Stars galore! (c) Mary Farah

Pulled jackfruit veggie taco from Veggie Bomb food truck. (c) Michael Farah

Grab a Bite at Lightscape

Speaking of treats and eats, there’s plenty to enjoy at Lightscape. Before the trail begins, an array of food trucks greet guests. Since we headed over right when Mike got home, we knew we needed some dinner. All of the trucks had a variety to offer, and we decided on Veggie Bomb. We got their taco plate with pulled jackfruit, and it was, indeed, bomb. If we come across their vegan truck again, we’ll definitely order from them.

They also had numerous bar booths with cocktails for 17 dollars, snack and hot cocoa stations (most starting at six dollars), and near the end of the journey a S’more station. A package costs 11 dollars and there are bonfires to roast your S’mores.

Santa Claus will also be arriving for pictures on select days beginning December seventh for an additional cost.

The trail is extremely children and stroller-friendly. Mabel had an absolute blast as did her parents. I highly recommend Lightscape to anyone who enjoys the magical lights of the holidays. It would make a great date, family, or friends night. Plenty of photo ops, too.

Lightscape is on now through January second. Parking is 20 dollars and it’s a rain or shine event. Since parking is limited, it’s advised to purchase it when ordering tickets.

Learn more and book your visit HERE.