Ad disclosure: we were invited to Luminate for the purpose of this review.
On Friday evening we picked up Eliza and took her & Lydia along to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to check out the Luminate Light Trail, which is one of the six light trails that Luminate Live are doing this winter.
I wanted to have this post up at the weekend so we could share our thoughts on here as fast as we could – but things have been a bit delayed by the three day migraine I have been dealing with… that’s life I guess! Anyway, on with the review…
Luminate have negotiated free parking at the school next door to the gardens, so it was easy to park up and walk around to the entrance for the event – which was signposted clearly from the main Botanical Gardens entrance. You actually enter the gardens through a side gate after getting your ticket checked, and having the opportunity to treat your kids to their own light up gear.
Entering the garden, you are greeted with giant letters spelling ‘LUMINATE’ sitting before a breathtaking sight: a vast expanse of illuminated roses that blanket the entire lawn. The roses change colours in patterns and waves to the accompanying music, creating a visually stunning experience. Following the directions from the staff who are positioned around the gardens to help with accessibility needs and to show the way, we headed to the right to begin the trail.
The Luminate light trail takes you around the gardens on a 60 minute+ long walk, past or through various different installations, all amongst the beautifully & colourfully lit stunning gardens. The paths are fairly well lit, and different music plays in different areas of the gardens. We did have moments where the noise of cars going past detracted from the experience, but that is unavoidable at a venue in the city.
One thing I enjoyed about the Luminate trail was that there are quite a few interactive & family friendly installations, with stepping stones that light up and change colours when you step on them, spotlights you could control, and even a game you could play with chasing lights.
Among the interactive installations, there are also some really cool lighting setups that use the gardens and different lighting & technology to create some stunning scenes.
One area had (open!) birdcages with fairies seemingly dancing around inside & a scattering of fairy doors at the bases of the trees. There is even a wall of wishes where you can write a wish and hang it up, which kids and adults of all ages were enjoying.
There are plenty of photo opportunities too, with a light tunnel and glowing pink light balls to walk through, circular hanging light up chairs to sit in, and some sweet fairy light hearts.
Towards the end of the trail is a marshmallow & mulled wine area where you can get an alcoholic drink (they have a few options) and buy some marshmallows to toast on their fire pits. We were given some tokens for this and we all had a great time heating up the giant marshmallows and enjoying the gooey loveliness. This was really fun and an ideal activity for older kids to enjoy.
You exit the trail not far from where you began, on the far side of the rose lawn, where you can get something to eat & drink before exiting through the greenhouses – and botanical garden gift shop!
Overall, it was a lovely evening, and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I believe the Luminate light trail is suitable for visitors of all ages, particularly with its interactive and kid-friendly installations.
However, it does have a slight drawback due to its relatively small location. The doubling back of the paths makes it so that each installation or lighting style area isn’t totally distinguished from the others. This was unavoidable in this venue, and the beauty of the gardens as their ‘canvas’ totally makes up for it, even if the music or lighting from one area did occasionally encroach into another.
Luminate is at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens until January 1st, and tickets vary depending on the day of the week, with a family ticket costing you around £70. The trail is not really themed in any way – not festively, or anything else – just lots of very pretty and fun lights! If you are looking for a light trail to visit with your family, this is certainly a fun option.
Lydia says: I think that it was very fun and entertaining, especially the interactive sections. I really liked the ‘Make a Wish’ area, and it was amazing seeing all the wishes tied to the wall. Also, the marshmallows we had were absolutely delicious, gooey and sweet. It was very cool when we got to roast them ourselves, especially when Eliza’s caught on fire! It was a bit confusing with the crossing over paths, but they directed it well. Overall, the botanical garden’s light show was both pretty and entertaining, providing a family-friendly event suitable for younger kids as well as older tweens and teens.
