Botanica’s ‘Illuminations’ tries to overcome icy opening weekend (+video)

Water, ice and holiday decorations just don’t mix together well.

Botanica learned that lesson for the second year in a row this weekend as its popular annual lights display, “Illuminations,” had its opening delayed until Sunday.

“We just couldn’t do it,” said Marty Miller, Botanica’s executive director. “And besides that, we had ice on the sidewalks, and (it) just wasn’t a safe place to walk. When they tell me they wouldn’t want their mom to walk here ... we want it to be safe.”

The combination of drizzle and ice posed a problem for the “Illuminations” display as water was getting into the electrical plugs and short-circuiting various displays, Miller said.

Last year, the gardens also dealt with rain short-circuiting displays during “Illuminations.”

Not everything was properly lit Sunday at the opening night of “Illuminations,” but Miller said that by next weekend, “Illuminations” should be up to “full pace.”

“With the drizzle that we had and with the way the temperature has been, forming condensation, it makes it difficult for lights, but we’re overcoming a lot of it, and hopefully the rest of the season will be a great season weather-wise,” Miller said.

A few hundred or so people were at “Illuminations” on Sunday, but the crowd was far from robust.

Missing out on Thanksgiving holiday weekend visitors likely was not how Botanica wanted this season to kick off, but Miller remains optimistic about 2015.

“Illuminations” features more than 1 million lights, and most of the old incandescent lights have been replaced with new LED lights.

“We’ve got several new displays,” he said. “We’ve got a video board out by the Children’s Garden meadow. It’s going to be absolutely spectacular.”

On Sunday, that board was not functioning properly.

Botanica is expecting a high volume of visitors for “Illuminations” this year, so it added a new satellite parking lot across from the Wichita Art Museum. Guests will be shuttled to and from Botanica from that parking lot on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The week before Christmas, the shuttle will run every day, Miller said.

Botanica will be open every night through New Year’s Eve, except on Christmas and Christmas Eve, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for “Illuminations.”

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for youths.

Miller said attendance will start climbing as Christmas nears. In 2014, more than 70,000 people came to the light show, roughly double the attendance of 2013. 2013’s attendance roughly tripled that of 2012’s.

“We have plenty of hot chocolate and plenty of cookies,” Miller said. “Every night we’ll have entertainment – either school groups or different bands – it’s a great thing. It adds to the Christmas spirit.

“The one thing that we have here more than anything else is Christmas magic.”

For more information, visit www.botanicawichita.org.

This story was originally published November 29, 2015 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Botanica’s ‘Illuminations’ tries to overcome icy opening weekend (+video)."