I first learned about the two light shows being conducted at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona in late November 2018, when a friend forwarded me a video on Facebook. I quickly made plans to go see them on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. The twin events are “Electric Desert”, which runs from October 2018 to May 12, 2019, and a holiday season special event called “Las Noches de Las Luminarias”, which only opens from November 23 to December 31, 2018 and does not go on after New Year’s Eve.

Colored lights among the cacti join luminarias near the entrance of DBG in a LED light display named “Neon Overture”. Not shown, or rather heard, is the music also playing as the lights change colors to the compositions.

Las Noches de Las Luminarias means “Nights of the Luminarias”, with a luminaria traditionally being a small handmade lantern consisting of paper bags filled with a scoop of sand and lit with a candle. Desert Botanical Garden sets up 8,000 of them every night during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, lining all the pathways, walls, and rooflines of buildings at the gardens. This southwestern winter tradition is done every year at DBG.

Golden barrel cacti and sisal agaves (Agave sisalana) are lit from below with LED lights, also a part of the entrance installation titled “Neon Overture”.

Meanwhile, the special-event art installation called “Electric Desert” is a one-time only event involving lights and music in 7 different selected locations throughout the gardens running for the fall, winter, and spring months in 2018 and 2019. It has to be seen to be believed, although I will add many photos of Electric Desert in another post.

Desert garden pathways are charmingly illuminated by luminarias at DBG. “Electric Desert” lights play across the hillside in the background, while an incoming airplane lands at nearby Sky Harbor International Airport.

As stated above, traditionally luminarias are made of paper bags, sand, and candles, although lately there are electric light versions (both wired and battery-operated) with that are not subject to the vagaries of weather, since wind, rain, or snow can easily extinguish lit candles. DBG uses rigid plastic “paper bags” that offer the color and feel of traditional luminarias but are more durable and won’t get soggy or torn. But they are lit by real candles – 8,000 of them.

“Infinity Crystal” changes color and sound as a part of Electric Desert.

One of the art pieces that is part of Electric Desert is titled “Infinity Crystal”. It’s a 5-sided mirrored glass sculpture with lights that change color from pink to blue to purple and migrate around the seams and interior of the glass as unearthly electronic music plays. It’s very beautiful!

“Cacti Synesthesia” plays at DBG as part of Electric Desert.

Another display of lights in a piece called “Cacti Synesthesia” glows elegantly at the base of golden barrels, chollas, and a cardon cactus. Colors here were mainly soft pink and pale blue, rotating through on and off cycles combining light and dark periods.

A vertical composition of “Cacti Synesthesia” with different colors on the same plants as above.

Luminarias line the major pathways of DBG, luring visitors into a fairyland nighttime journey amidst the world-class cactus and succulent collections.

Lights of several types provide a soft warm glow on the plaza in front of the Webster Center at DBG.

Luminarias are a mostly southwestern tradition in the holiday season, when Catholic families would set them out in homes, neighborhoods, and public spaces on Christmas Eve as a signal to the Holy Spirit to find its way into the lives of believers. In recent decades, however, luminaria-based events have spread more widely and are no longer limited to Christmas Eve or religious meanings only.

The back plaza of the Webster Center contains a lovely poinsettia Christmas tree and luminarias lining the roof, alongside electrical lights strung along the eaves as well.

Another word for luminaria is “farolito”, which means “little lantern” in Spanish. A good-natured debate occurs between regions as to which term is the more correct one, with farolito being favored in central and northern New Mexico where they have been in use for the longest time, and luminaria predominant in Arizona and increasingly in other states where the holiday tradition is spreading. All sides surely agree upon their charm and beauty, however.

“Desert Chorale” plays across the cactus-studded hillside that serves as a backdrop to the Ullman Terrace at Phoenix’s DBG.

The largest art installation in Electric Desert is the one titled “Desert Chorale”, which projects a variety of colored light patterns choreographed to music onto the largest hill on the gardens’ grounds. Ever-shifting patterns and colors make this a psychedelic experience, although fortunately no drugs are required to induce it.

Visitors can enjoy a hot or cold drink and food from the nearby cafe and/or concession carts at Ullman Terrace as they take in the “Desert Chorale” light show.

The show at Electric Desert runs from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM during the winter hours when the sun sets early, but will operate a bit later as spring arrives to account for the later sunsets.

Visitors can also walk up the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail to observe “Desert Chorale” from a different angle, plus additional lights titled “Sonoran Passage”. Alas, I wasn’t able to do that since it was already 9:30 PM and the show came to its nightly end shortly after I took these photos. No matter, I will probably visit again in the springtime.

More paths lit by glowing luminarias. By this point the Electric Desert show had ended and visitors were being herded slowly towards the exits. I took photos anyway on my way back to the car.   😉

As the night drew to a close, DBG staff were snuffing the luminarias for the night, migrating up and down the paths blowing them out. I stayed just ahead of them to catch the final scenes of paths while they were still lit.

I snagged a photo of my friend Steve posing in front of the Baja Garden, which contains several large cardon cacti (Pachycereus pringlei), boojum trees (Fouquieria columnaris), and other favorite Baja Californian plants.

Approaching the Cardon Plaza, and staying just ahead of people extinguishing the luminarias behind us.

The colored stained glass circles at the Cardon Plaza are beautiful both by day and at night, as either way light shines through them.

Just outside the main entrance and exit of DBG, I paused to take a final photo of some of the entrance gardens. The Papago Buttes stand in the background on the dark horizon, a distinctive Phoenix landmark.

Past the exit and en route to the parking lot, we passed through this well-lit pavilion themed out for Christmas. Gotta take a few photos of that, too!

The entrance pavilion with the trees of the parking area wrapped in white Christmas lights in the distance.

The famous glass yuccas (and several real ones too) at the main entrance of Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden.

DBG has three tall blown-glass yucca plants at its entrance which serve as a highly recognizable permanent feature of the gardens. Titled “Yucca Desert Towers”, these distinctive sculptures by well-regarded glass artist Dale Chihuly were acquired in 2009-2010 after his first exhibition at DBG. (His second show was four years later, in 2013-2014.)

Detail of one of the glass yuccas. I so want one for D:F Ranch, and I even live in the town of Yucca, Arizona…. but I don’t have a spare $30,000 laying around.

Parting shot of the “Yucca Desert Towers”. What a great show!

Check out the related post of “Electric Desert” to experience a taste of the psychedelic effects in my favorite light and sound displays, which were in the “Cacti Synesthesia” installation. And by all means go see it for yourself if you are able. As of this writing on New Year’s Eve 2018, you have a bit over four months to arrange a visit. Don’t miss out!

Note: Here is the other post dealing more specifically with the amazing lights and colors of the Cacti Synesthesia display.

Electric Desert: The Must-See Light And Sound Show At Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden