Magical light

It was the last night. Cold, clear, crisp with a slice of moon hanging in a sky dotted with bright stars. Families and couples, bundled in heavy coats, walked up the small hill of frozen grass into the light – into a carnival of lights.

Every year the Idaho Botanical Garden creates Winter Garden aGlow during the holidays. Volunteers and staff decorate the entire garden with exquisite designs using over 250,000 colored lights. And then the magic begins…

One year we came in December before Christmas. Some Garden volunteers were setting up large speakers in the main walkway. People were milling around, kids were running and chasing each other.

Suddenly music came through the speakers – the Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker Suite. As if on cue, the children began spontaneously dancing; arching their hands above their heads, circling and twirling. Soon there were about 15 little ballet dancers pirouetting, spinning, oblivious to the growing audience of adults. When the music finally ended, we broke into applause and cheers, to the great surprise of the children. With big grins on their faces, they bowed (numerous times) before running off into the garden.

The show is over for this year. But it will return during the next holiday season.