Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum is returning this holiday season for its 10th anniversary, and takes place as the arboretum is celebrating its own centennial. From Nov. 19 to Jan. 7, 2023, guests at the Arboretum can explore the tree-lined one-mile walking trail filled with color, lights and sound. This year, Illumination’s finale will take place in the Arboretum’s new Grand Garden, which officially opens to the public on Sept. 18, 2022.
There will be 18 different features this year, with a mix of old favorites and six new displays. Treemagination, Hug-a-Tree, Ornament Hilll, Symphony Woods, and the Enchanted Forest are just a few of the returning exhibits. Meadow Lake Magic will be redesigned to include 15-foot-high mirrored towers floating in the water. Each will have light beams shooting up at sky.
One of this year’s newcomers is Shadow Play, an interactive touch-free wall where guests can make colorful shadows. Two of the Human+Nature sculptures will also be used within this year’s show.
Also new this year is Electric Illumination. It’s a late night event that’s geared for those 18 and older, featuring trance and progressive house music synched up to light displays along the Illumination trail. It will run multiple nights, on Dec. 16, 23 and 30 from 9:30 p.. to 11 p.m.
“We’re taking Illumination to a new level this year in celebration of the Arboretum’s centennial and the 10th anniversary of the exhibition,” said Preston Bautista, vice president of learning and engagement at the Morton Arboretum. “The addition of Electric Illumination provides a new and distinct late-night experience with an entirely different soundtrack.”
Also for the older crowd, the Arboretum is bringing back Illumibrew. Those 21 and older are welcome to attend special craft beer tastings in that pre-opening event, to be held Nov. 17 and 18.
The Illumination exhibition was custom designed and developed for the Arboretum by Lightswitch LLC. It features energy-efficient, eco-friendly LED lighting.
It will open each day at 4:30 p.m., with last entry available at 8:30 p.m. Lights will go out at 9:30 p.m. with the exception of Electric Illumination late-night hours.
Tickets sales begin Oct. 1 both online and at the Arboretum Visitor Center during operation hours. Costs range from $10 to $35 per person. Kids under two get in free.
There’s also a chance to buy tickets at a 20% discount, thanks to a promotion by Illumination sponsor ComEd. Those may be purchased on certain Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays using the code COMEDLIGHTS2022, to buy up to four tickets per transaction. Exact date info on that promotion is available on the Arboretum’s website.
Reporting for Naperville News 17, I’m Will Payne.
