Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens

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During the Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens, more than 20 miles of lights turn Kansas City’s botanical garden into a winter wonderland. Enjoy a breath of fresh air during a hectic holiday season! Bundle up with family and friends while you stroll a lighted outdoor path, pausing for plenty of Instagram and holiday-card-worthy photo moments along the way. Encounter immersive botanic installations that show off the exceptional architecture and landscape elements of the Gardens and accentuate the natural joy of the most festive season.

Read KC Parent's review of Festival of Lights.

This year, featured new media artist, Kevin Heckart, transforms two sites with interactive light displays, and a new festival feature, the Light Labyrinth, promises an adventure for all ages!

*Closed on Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Additional days (November 21-22, December 19-20 and 26-27) have been added to accommodate seasonal holidays.

Ring in the new year with the Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens, now extended through January 5-8, 2023, 4-10 p.m. This holiday favorite brings a breath of fresh air after the hectic holiday season. Take time to focus on your New Year resolutions at Kansas City’s Botanical Garden.

Spend more time with the natural world and enjoy the crisp winter air as you traverse the 1-mile lighted trail full of botanically-inspired designs, including work from featured artist, Kevin Heckart. Heckart’s work can be found suspended above the pool in the Enchanted Tiki Bar and within the Peppermint Warming Station. Take a moment to revel in these unique indoor displays and warm up with a Country Club Bank Cocoa or apple cider.

Slow down and enjoy a photo-worthy moment with your family and friends. Check out the tropical plant display in the Enchanted Tiki Bar, the life-sized Snow Globe along the lighted path, the succulent tree in the Peppermint Warming station, and the dazzling Illuminated Passage. The winter season is the perfect opportunity to bundle up and experience the warmth of your loved ones.

Visitors can upgrade their experience with a +Pack, which includes a trio of festival goodies, for $10. Or just upgrade your viewing experience by purchasing a pair of 3D glasses from The Marketplace at Powell Gardens. Each pair of 3D glasses reveals different shapes such as trains, penguins, and more. Make sure to grab a pair before you head out on your walk and make the most of the experience!

Make natural joy part of your New Year’s resolution with a visit to Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens. Evergy Festival of Lights is open Wednesday-Sunday, 4-10 p.m. Additional days (December 26-27, 2022, and January 5-8, 2023) have been added to accommodate seasonal holidays. Tickets are available online at www.powellgardens.org/lights.

NEW IN 2022

Featured Artist: Kevin Heckart

Kevin Heckart makes new media works that play in the feedback-loop of internet culture while sourcing technology to capture the attention of millions. He utilizes coding to construct dreamy interactive light installations.

Heckart received a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute in 2019 and has been a Kansas City resident for over 10 years. While Heckart has often collaborated with local artists, his work is exhibited widely including most recently at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Tokyo Culture Art and published in WAD Magazine, The New York Times, and MTV.

Look for Verticalis in the Conservatory and Garden Office in the Garden Galleries.

Merry & Bright Selfie Station 

Daily | 4-10 p.m.

Education Building (in Children’s Garden)

A *must not miss* photo opportunity, squeeze your best buds, family, and partners into the larger-than-life Adirondack chairs and strike a pose. New to 2022, this destination on the path is the perfect spot to capture mementos. Don’t forget to tag @powellgardens and use #festivaloflightskc to share your festive selfies!

Light Labyrinth

Daily | 4-10 p.m.

Missouri Barn & Silo

Explore the quilt-like pattern of the Villandry garden beds as you tackle navigating a labyrinth of light. Transitioning color blocks represent the changing seasons of fall, winter, spring, and summer. Travel to the top of the Silo to watch others try their hand at navigating the path for themselves. This immersive experience is fun for all ages; please accompany small children.