What to Know
- Grand Illuminations
- The Yard at Cal Plaza
- Downtown Los Angeles
- Dec. 4-Jan. 6, 2025
- Nightly through 10 p.m.
- The Dec. 4 kick-off — the Grand Holiday Celebration — will feature live music, market vendors and more; please bring a toy to donate to the Para Los Niños drive (new and unwrapped)
Encountering a dandelion or two while sauntering through the heart of the city isn't all that unusual.
The intrepid sprouters do have a way of making their puffy presence known, pretty much anywhere you go, and that includes the places packed with skyscrapers, traffic, and a perpetual case of on-the-go-itis.
But finding a surreal electric dandelion that is taller than you are? Actually, finding several of them in full and fabulous twinkle, right in Downtown Los Angeles?
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Several visitors to The Yard at Cal Plaza will have this illuminated experience in the coming weeks as "Grand Illuminations," a new holiday light installation, gives the evening some glittery joy.
Presented by the DTLA Alliance, "Grand Illuminations" will shimmer with the wizardry of Liquid PXL, the Los Angeles-based art collective.
Ten "Electric Dandelions" will be on view — you may have encountered these sizable eye-catchers at Burning Man back in 2016 — while an Arbor Arch Trellis will add to the atmosphere.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
A luminous tree created from LED lights will stand an impressive 25 feet, another element sure to draw visitors seeking a sparkly snapshot or two.
"The Yard at Cal Plaza holds such a special place in my heart, as some of my earliest memories of visiting downtown were trips to 'Grand Performances,' says Abram Santa Cruz, founder of Liquid PXL.
"It's truly a joy to showcase my art in such a prominent, central, and accessible setting for all Angelenos to enjoy this holiday season."
Entry is free and the lights will shimmer nightly, through 10 p.m. each evening, from Dec. 4 through Jan. 6, 2025.
Want to be there for the joyful launch? Swing by Dec. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. for live music and the flip-the-switch ceremony.
