AMES, Iowa -- Music, thousands of lights, beautiful flora, family activities and holiday cheer are all in store at Reiman Gardens' annual Blossoms of Light festival Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10, from 9 a.m. -- 9 p.m.
Admission for the four-day event is free and open to the public as a holiday gift to the community from Wells Fargo.
The Gardens' Conservatory display will feature a Scandinavian theme and is titled The Lights of Santa Lucia. The display will include a 25-foot-tall blue spruce decorated with thousands of white lights, white ornaments and icicles all surrounded by 40 large white and red poinsettias. An arborvitae wreath will encircle the entire bed and will also contain white lights and seven candles, representing the seven candles atop Santa Lucia's head.
In addition, guests can enjoy nightly concerts featuring central Iowa performers and a lighted walk amid thousands of "twinkling" blossoms of holiday lights, including hyacinth and wisteria blooms constructed entirely of lights. Guests may also visit with Santa, enjoy traditional Scandinavian crafts (including spinning wheel, rosemaling and hardanger embroidery demonstrations) and meet a pair of Norwegian Fjord horses from One Heart Equestrian Therapy, Colo.
Schedule of Events:
- Santa letter-writing station and Scandinavian craft station, 6 - 9 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10.
- Visit from Santa, Hunziker House, 6 - 9 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10.
- Hardanger embroidery demonstration with Arlene Field, 6 - 9 p.m., Dec. 2, 3.
- Rosemaling demonstration with Helga Kennedy of Helga's Rosemaling in Story City. Helga, who has been painting since 1968, has studied at the Vesterheim in Decorah and specializes in the Telemark style of rosemaling, 6 - 9 p.m., Dec. 9.
- Spinning wheel demonstration with Carmen Peter. Carmen will demonstrate on a wheel that came from Flekkefjord, near Rosendahl, Norway, before World War II, 6 - 9 p.m., Dec. 10.
- Holiday light display at the outdoor gardens, 6 - 9 p.m., Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10.
- Norwegian Fjord Horses from One Heart Equestrian Therapy, 6 - 9 p.m. at the Events Plaza, Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10.
Free evening concerts:
Dec. 2
- Central Iowa Brass Quintet, 6 - 7 p.m.
- Ames Children's Choir Chamber Singers and Ames Children's Choir Concert Choir, 7 - 8 p.m.
Dec. 3
- ISU Flute Ensemble, 1 - 2 p.m.
- ISU Saxophone Ensemble, 2 - 3 p.m.
- The Brewer Project, 3 - 5 p.m.
- Writers Block, women's octet, 5 - 6 p.m.
- Johnston Station Big Band, 7 - 9 p.m.
Dec. 9
- Ames Youth Flute Choir, 6 - 7 p.m.
- Miner Stokka Jazz Band, 7 - 9 p.m.
Dec. 10
- Jive for Five, 5 - 7 p.m.
- Johnston Station Jazz Band, 7 - 9 p.m.
The Iowa State Forestry Club also will sell trees at the Gardens at the following times:
Nov. 26, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Nov. 27, noon - 6 p.m.
Dec. 2, 3 - 6 p.m.
Dec. 3, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Dec. 4, noon - 6 p.m.
Dec. 9, 3 - 6 p.m.
Dec. 10, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Dec. 11, noon - 6 p.m.