What to Know
- Luminaria Nights at California Botanic Garden
- Claremont
- Dec. 13, 14, 20, and 21 (note updated dates)
- $20 adult (general public); other ticketing tiers are available
- Purchase your tickets in advance at the California Botanic Garden site
Luminarias add an ethereal beauty to Canyon Road in Santa Fe each Christmas Eve, and several other pretty locations around the fabled city, too.
The paper bags, which are lit from within, are a festive sight around the scenic state, and beyond, during the Christmas season, but finding luminarias, or farolitos, if you prefer, is possible in Southern California.
Look to the California Botanic Garden, a sylvan destination known for its excellent events, gorgeous native plants, and luminaria-lit loveliness.
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That loveliness shines over a few December nights each year, giving visitors the ethereal opportunity to experience a more peaceful side of the hectic season.
Tickets are on sale now for the evenings; everything begins Dec. 13.
The luminarias will continue to bewitch over three more nights: Dec. 14, 20, and 21, which is the winter solstice.
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Perhaps the solstice is the ideal time to bask in the magic of the luminaria; it is, after all, the longest night of the year.
Musicians, food trucks, and toasty sips like hot chocolate add to the specialness of these gently illuminated evenings.
The lanterns, which are usually plain paper bags (though luminaria fans do change up the colors and design), contain small candles and sand. At-home decorations are sometimes electric, which, yes, can stay on throughout the season, rather than a single night.
In fact, many Southern Californians adorn their homes with luminarias each year, creating a meaningful meet-up between the Land of Enchantment and the Golden State.
Find tickets to Luminaria Nights on the California Botanic Garden site.
Pictured: New Mexican luminarias.
