Details:
Enchanted Forest of Light
Nov. 17, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
Hours
5:30 –10 p.m.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
A favorite way to celebrate the holidays in Southern California is back with new and awe-inspiring experiences. At Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens, inventive light installations transform familiar spaces into extraordinary, dreamlike landscapes.
This year’s Enchanted has a new addition: the model trains of the Descanso Railroad, lit up especially for the holiday season. Returning favorites include the magical “stained glass” houses by Tom Fruin, dazzling geometric structures by HYBYCOZO, the vibrant Flower Power installation on the Promenade, and the beautifully lit Ancient Forest.
Adding to the seasonal ambiance, visitors can enjoy hot drinks and treats.
Enchanted is a perfect holiday outing for a family adventure or a romantic date night, to spend an evening in wonder.
For pro tips on things not to miss and behind-the-scenes insights, Jennifer Errico of Descanso Gardens shared her thoughts:
What are you particularly excited about with this year’s edition of Enchanted? What are some things that visitors should not miss?
It's always exciting when Enchanted returns to Descanso. Our visitors will find their favorites like Flower Power, which are the electric tulips, and the Ancient Forest, where it looks like fireflies are everywhere, but I think they will be delighted by the Descanso Railroad.
The Descanso Railroad is a new addition that displays model trains. For Enchanted, the area is lit up, and there are special additions to the railroad. Whenever I am at the railroad, children and adults are in awe. They will be even more so when it is aglow.
How did Descanso Gardens discover or connect with the artists who created some of the installations?
Enchanted is really a showcase of the gardens — the canopy becomes colorful, and our heritage oaks are surrounded with golden grass — but some of the whimsy comes from the artists who participate. Our creative director, Chirs Medvitz, finds artists and invites them to participate. HYBYCOZO, who creates the huge metal, geometric lanterns in the Rose Garden, is well-known for their public installations at many places, including Burning Man. The artists are Los Angeles-based Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk.
Tom Fruin, originally from California but now residing in Brooklyn, creates the houses big enough to walk through. Although they look like stained glass, they are actually made of recycled plastic. If you look carefully, you can see printing from the plastic signs he has used. His art not only echoes Descanso's commitment to sustainability, but also its playfulness. The houses are on the Main Lawn, where many generations of children have enjoyed nature.
