No snow at Illuminations? No problem: Botanica’s got you covered— with fake snow

Last year, hardly any snow fell in Wichita.

Quite the bummer for Botanica, which typically sees increased attendance at its annual Illuminations event on nights when the white stuff is falling.

Tired of not having snow at its signature winter event, Botanica has bought two artificial snow machines, which will debut at Illuminations this year.

“They were expensive, but we thought, ‘You know, why not? We need snow; It’s Illuminations,’” said Kathy Sweeney, Botanica’s director of special events. “If the weather’s not going to produce our snow, we’re going to do it on our own.”

The machines, which are “the same kind of snow machines that Disney uses” for its holiday shows, will be set up either in Botanica’s main meadow or in the Children’s Garden meadow, she said.

At both locations, there are light shows choreographed to music.

The fake snow will not fall continuously — it will be timed to the music, Sweeney said.

“We’re always trying to create new experiences and ... we look a lot to Disney and what they do for their holiday stuff,” she said. “Most of their holiday events have snow machines.”

The artificial snow is designed to evaporate once it hits the ground, which means it can also be used indoors, Sweeney said.

With these machines, Botanica also has the ability to create scented snow.

“We’ve got peppermint, pine, and a chocolate chip cookie,” Sweeney said. “They’re just oils you add to the snow to give off smells of the holiday.”

Illuminations, which is open nearly every night between Black Friday and New Year’s Eve, is Botanica’s annual holiday event, in which more than 1 million lights illuminate the gardens. Attendees can stroll through the gardens and catch choreographed light shows, visits with Santa, and more.

Botanica has added more lights for Illuminations this year, as well as revamped its food service, Sweeney said.

This year, it’s purchasing food from Blue Moon Catering, which the Friends of Botanica will serve on the pavilion, “making it more of a hub for coming and having dinner,” Sweeney said.

Hot cocoas, caramel macchiatos and pumpkin-spice lattes will still be available for purchase, as well as bakery treats.

Illuminations opens on Nov. 23 at Botanica, 701 N. Amidon.

This story was originally published September 19, 2018 at 4:35 PM.