The Winter Wonderscape holiday light show event at Reiman Gardens is back for its second year. 

The Winter Wonderscape event is an outdoor holiday light show across all 17 acres of Reiman Gardens. 

“This event was born from a desire to offer a safe, family-friendly holiday event that people can look forward to and come back to, year after year,” said Renee Rule, guest services manager at Reiman Gardens..

The show includes brightly-lit tunnels, fantasy lights, disco balls with laser lights, a 20-foot-wide fountain of lights and more. At the end of the show, the Hughes Conservatory features a holiday train display, where a garden-scale train custom-built specifically for this event will be located.

The event occurs from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings on the following weekends: Dec. 2, 3, 4; 9, 10, 11; 16, 17, 18; 23, 24; 30, 31, Jan. 1.

According to guest services, more than 11,000 people were in attendance last year. 47% percent of those people came from Ames, while the rest traveled in from around the state. 

“The thought that we are building a family tradition that people can come to year after year is magical, and seeing kids’ faces light up as they point out all the fun features is also pretty enjoyable,“ Rule said. 

As COVID-19 remains a concern for some people, safety precautions will be in place. There is a daily capacity limit to promote social distancing. Masks are encouraged and staff members will monitor indoor spaces. 

There will be live music in the Garden Room during the event. On Friday, Coffee Shop Romance will be playing acoustic music. Tom Box will perform the best in oldies, rock and soul music on Saturday. The Bluestem Bellows Band will be playing on Dec. 9. Ames High School Madrigal Singers will perform on Dec. 10. Jennie Mulgaard’s Recorder Group is set to perform on Dec. 16. An all-ukulele ensemble, Britches & Hose Ukulele Club, will take over Dec. 17. Finally, Barb Evenson will play the harp on Dec. 18. 

Guests can purchase a light-up gift from the Winter Wonderscape event. Items will be available for sale in a trailer outside the entrance.  

Tickets can only be purchased online at www.reimangardens.com. 

Ticket prices are $10 for the adult general public, $8 for Iowa State students, $5 for ages two to 12 and free for anyone under the age of two.