Glimmer glimmer: ‘Astra Lumina LA' to glow at South Coast Botanic Garden

The nights are already getting, well, nightier, even as temperatures continue to soar in a seriously summerlike fashion.

Soon, though, summer-style heat spikes will chill out, literally, and evening will begin sometime in the late afternoon. Or at least the spirit of evening, if you will.

And when Daylight Saving Time concludes, we begin to seek a bit of shimmer in the increasing darkness, the sort of illumination that uplifts, intrigues, and even bewitches.

Enter the gargantuan garden glow-taculars, those incandescent experiences that give light to the night at some of Southern California's leafiest and loveliest locations as the holidays grow near.

Astra Lumina, a dazzling, walk-by/walk-through display, has added starlit splendor to South Coast Botanic Garden in recent years, with strange shapes, ethereal sculptures, and light-casting artworks dotting the Palos Verdes Peninsula destination.

The experience will return Nov. 8, with an on-sale ticket date happening just about a month in advance: Oct. 9.

But you need not wait for Oct. 9 to begin summoning those Astra-xtraordinary vibes: If you sign up for the waitlist, beginning Oct. 2, you'll enjoy 15% your admission.

Moment Factory, the studio behind several Lumina Enchanted Night Walk events staged in cities beyond Southern California, is again working with the experience-creating outfit Fever, and, of course, South Coast Botanic Garden, on the alfresco illuminated adventure.

The happening isn't just about admiring well-placed lightbulbs, of course; music plays a whimsical role, as do imaginative uses of projection. Distinct areas also add to the atmosphere, with "Stellar Visions" and "Falling Stars" dotting the galactically inspired map.

Peek at some of the pause-worthy moments at past Astra Luminas below, then find out more about the limited-time waitlist and what's soon to shimmer at South Coast Botanic Gardens.