Botanica’s Illuminations opens a bit earlier this year. Here’s what else is new:

Illuminations alert: For the past years, the annual holiday event that fills Botanica in Wichita with nearly 2 million Christmas lights opened the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, it opens the weekend before. The first day for the event, which usually attracts at least 100,000 visitors during its multi-week run, will start on Saturday, Nov. 22, and run nightly (with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas) through Jan. 3.

The event, one of Wichita’s most popular every holiday season, has been going on since the early 1990s. Here’s a list of things fans will want to know about this year’s Illuminations.

New installations

Each year, the event includes at least one new installation. This year, said Botanica Executive Director Lynette Zimmerman, one of the big ones will remind people of spring.

Called Tulipscapes, the new installation features 2,200 lighted tulips installed around the Margie Button Memorial Fountain, which is the large fountain on the east side of the gardens. Each of the glowing tulips is about 24 inches tall.

“I have to tell you, we lit it up last night, and it looks gorgeous,” Zimmerman said.,

Another new attraction will be a 15-foot-tall harlequin tree, which Zimmerman says looks like a spinning spindle.

“That is something brand new for us,” she said. “We’ve never seen it around town.”

Classic installations

Illuminations also will include the big draws people have come to expect year after year, including the “funky tree” decorated with a mishmash of glowing oddities, light-up stomp pads for kids and the massive 62-foot Christmas tree on the Grand Lawn that dances to holiday music.

The butterfly light installation in Botanica’s Butterfly House, new last year, will also be a part of this year’s Illuminations, Zimmerman said.

Santa will again be accepting visitors at Illuminations, though he’s only there through Dec. 23. Children can bring their letters to Santa and drop them into a giant mailbox.

The carousel will be open, and people will be able to get food from a local food truck or purchase hot coffee, cocoa, candy or popcorn. (Only credit and debit cards will be accepted.)

A price bump

Tickets are a bit more expensive than last year, Zimmerman said, mainly because the cost of keeping the event fresh is costlier.

Tickets for non-member adults are $19 (up $3 from last year); For members, they’re $15 (up $2); for children ages 3-12, they’re $12 (up $2.) For children 2 and under, they’re free.

All tickets must be pre-purchased online at botanica.org/illuminations They won’t be for sale at the door.

People can purchase tickets for nightly time slots at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. They’ll have a one-hour grace period after their reservation time to arrive.

Those who purchase their tickets then decide they need a different date or time can attempt to change their reservations up to 24 hours prior. They’ll need to have their confirmation numbers ready and visit the Illuminations ticket exchange page at botanica.org/ticket-exchange.

Parking — and some ill-timed construction

Getting to Illuminations this year might be a bit of a challenge because of a construction project going on along Museum Boulevard. Zimmerman advises people to allow themselves plenty of time to find a parking space and get into the event on time.

All visitors will need to enter at the South Gate Entrance, 1912 W Sim Park Drive. Parking is available near the South Gate, at Cowtown and at the old Riverside Hospital at 2622 W. Central. People also can get to Illuminations via the Q-Line.

A new “golden ticket” giveaway

Botanica is launching a new contest this year that will run from Monday through Dec. 4.

The staff will hide one golden ticket each of those 10 days somewhere in Wichita. People should watch Botanica’s social media channels, where at noon each day, the staff will post clues to where that day’s ticket is hiding.

The person who finds each day’s ticket should take a photo of where it was found then bring it to Botanica to redeem a prize, which will be an Ultimate Illuminations Package for four that includes tickets to the event, front-door parking, unlimited hot cocoa, popcorn and adult beverages, a guided tour, and a mystery box full of gifts.

For more information about Illuminations, visit botanica.org/illuminations/

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.