If 2020 has been a rough year, head to Powell Gardens for festive, safe cheer

For the fourth year, Powell Gardens will light up its grounds as winter approaches. “Festival of Lights: Enchantment” starts Nov. 13 and runs until Jan. 3.

The main event is a mile-long path on the gardens’ 25-acre grounds, featuring lights in the trees, light tunnels and more. The whole path is handicapped-accessible.

This year, Powell Gardens is partnering with Quixotic. Known for their aerialists, the group has contributed a different expertise: lighting design. Anthony Magliano, creative director for Quixotic, said he’s been talking with Powell Gardens for nearly a year, trying to figure out ways to partner with the team there.

For the festival, the group’s design will be highlighting the Fountain Garden.

“It is going to be part sculptural, part light and music. We’re hoping to make it all music interactive,” Magliano said.

The idea is that the light will take the place of the water in the fountain.

“This installation will be brand new. A lot of people know us as doing a lot of performing art around the community — it’s definitely what we’re know for,” Magliano said. “It would be really great if they saw the other side of what we do with installation design.”

Having Quixotic’s design is unique to the 2020-21 fest.

“Normally, we would have done that in-house, but Quixotic is able to take this to another level,” said Tabitha Schmidt, CEO of Powell Gardens.

Although the display is mostly outdoors for those looking to socially distance, a handful of indoor options will be available. The visitor center will have its fireplaces lit, a gift shop decked out with holiday gear and a bar with drink attendees.

The tropical plants area also features refreshment in the form of a tiki bar that has menu items for both adults and kids, and a wine bar will be tucked into a separate area of the grounds.

Although Santa will be in attendance on some days, he’ll be in his workshop, where kids can seem him — and his reindeer — from a distance.

Adding to the festivities are limited, short performances on separate days from the Kansas City Ballet’s second company and the Lyric Opera. Schmidt said they connected with them through a mutual contact at the Kauffman Center.

“We’ve been wanting to reach out and partner this year. Our hope is that this becomes an annual event. It’s a great way for us to connect with all those organizations,” Schmidt said.

“This is one of the first things I did when I started in this role, and it’s near and dear to my heart. I’m very, very excited about the arts partners that have joined with us.”

Both shows will be inside a heated tent. The ballet shows will be 20 minutes long with seating, while The Lyric’s will be a standing event.

Schmidt said this year’s event design has kept pandemic safety in mind. Part of that is opening the lighting display two weeks earlier than usual in an attempt to space out the crowds. She’s not planning to have timed ticketing.

“Because it’s an outdoor experience, it gives people a lot of room to roam,” she said.

She hopes the cold doesn’t discourage people from attending.

“It’s all about bringing the garden to life during the holidays. (There’s) a botanical focus on everything we do in some way or some form. Botanical gardens are not places people are going in December: not in the Midwest anyway,” Schmidt said.

Tickets for the festival are $12 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Members of the gardens will get free admission. The festival runs Thursdays through Sundays Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

The Kansas City Ballet will perform at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Nov. 13-15. The Lyric Opera will perform at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Nov. 21. Santa will be available on Fridays and Saturdays Nov. 17 to Dec. 19 but will only have his reindeer from 5 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 28. Powell Gardens is at 1609 NW U.S. Highway 50 in Kingsville