Reiman Gardens is set to unveil another year of its holiday walk-through light show, Winter Wonderscape. The event boasts a variety of light displays, live music and activities for all ages.

Planning for the first Winter Wonderscape event began back in 2018 as an idea for a family-focused event that would bring people to the gardens during the winter months when visitation is typically at its lowest.

“We are always looking for ways to expand our offerings year round so that people can visit no matter the month and always be enchanted by what they see, whether it’s plants, butterflies or lights,” Director of Guest Services and Events Renee Rule said. 

Since its inaugural event in 2020, Reiman Gardens has continued to grow and evolve Winter Wonderscape each year through the addition of new features, lights and entertainment to keep guest experiences fresh and exciting.

“Two of my favorite new things this year are the large-scale light up flowers and the disco balls in our Children’s Garden Corn Crib,” Rule said.

The complete Winter Wonderscape stretches approximately three-quarters of a mile and typically takes guests 40 to 80 minutes to walk through in its entirety, according to the Reiman Gardens website. This year’s display features lighted sculptural forms, including Peter Rabbit, the metamorphosis of the luna moth, penguins cavorting on skis, sleds and ice skates and a giant lighted snowflake.

“One of our long term goals for the event is to make it more sustainable to manage,” Rule said. “This event takes over 1200 hours from staff and volunteers just to prep the lights, which doesn’t include the hours of planning and logistics. As we grow this event, we’d love to find a way to not burn out our very dedicated staff.”

Rule said Reiman Gardens are also exploring the possibility of a few pop-up holiday markets next year during their regular hours.

In addition to new lights and displays, Reiman Gardens will be hosting 11 live music events over the duration of Winter Wonderscape. Musical guests include Tom Box, Sandy Clark and Coffee House Romance. 

“We have quite a few musicians each year,” Rule said. “Many return from year to year, and it has become a great tradition for them. From recorder music to madrigal singers, there is a little bit of everything. Music is at the end of the Winter Wonderscape route, so it’s a great opportunity to sit down, warm up and listen to some live music before you leave.”

Event tickets can be purchased through the Reiman Gardens website. Tickets are priced at $7 for children ages 2–12, $13 for members and Iowa State students and $15 for general public adults. Tickets are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis and are only available online. The Winter Wonderscape event will run from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in December