By Jeff Baines:
For one final weekend, the Buffalo & Erie Botanical Gardens will be illuminated with the creative “NIGHT LIGHTS at the Gardens.” The show is definitely a way to see the gardens in a different light, as the plants and glass structures are bathed in colorful and interactive lighting. Don’t wait too long to experience NIGHT LIGHTS, as it closes this weekend. It will be open tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday night from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The percussion group Gahu Drum Ensemble will give a performance on Friday night.
After making its debut over a three-week period in February 2011, NIGHT LIGHTS has once again proven to be a big success for the botanical gardens by already eclipsing last year’s attendance number of 4,100 visitors. Buffalo’s gardens appear to be the only one in the country that offers such a unique experience for its visitors.
During NIGHT LIGHTS all the signature spaces and horticulture of the gardnes are transformed by the illumination of lights. The lights inside the buildings can be seen from the outside, creating much excitement and anticipation while walking up to the botanical gardens’ entrance.
Photo by Lori Kunselman
In the massive Palm Dome, guests are invited to press buttons on a board that produce nature sounds that correspond with the lights. The same effect is applied in the waterfall room where visitors can strike a djembe drum and the lights in the room react to the percussion. The showstopper of NIGHT LIGHTS is walking into one of the small domes and being greeted by 2,000 fireflies. There’s a lot to discover while exploring the gardens.
Photo by Lori Kunselman
Check out NIGHT LIGHTS this weekend, or otherwise wait another year for its return. For more information on the show, visited www.buffalogardens.com