Every year, China Lights turns the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners into a bright world of lights and color with over 1,000 Chinese lanterns displayed across the grounds. The lanterns come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, mixing traditional Chinese culture with contemporary displays and depictions of nature.
China Lights will run from Friday, Sept. 12 through Nov. 2 this year, Tuesdays through Sundays from 5:30-10 p.m.
This will be the show’s eighth year, making it a special season for the organizers. The number eight (Chinese: 八, bā) is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture due to its phonetic similarity to a phrase (發, fā), meaning “to prosper.” Huiyuan Liu, China Lights’ event manager, explained how this special season is being commemorated at this year’s exhibition.
“We have a lantern set that is a snake, because it is the year of the snake, but it is also twisted in a number eight shape. I think that will be a big draw,” Liu says.
This year’s theme is “Magical Forest”, including displays such as mythical deer and frogs in a swamp. There will also be a butterfly fairy cave, featuring more than 1,000 glowing butterflies.
In addition to the new theme, organizers are offering new parking options at the park-and-ride on 108thstreet in Greenfield. Patrons who park at this new location will be provided with free shuttle service to and from the lights display at the Botanical Gardens, with the shuttle ride taking approximately ten minutes one way.
“It’s nice to go back to the same place and see the same faces,” Liu says. “I’ve seen people who come to the show every year.”
Tickets, available here, start at $28 for adults and $18 for kids under twelve.
