China Lights Festival continues its annual tradition of hosting its captivating lantern lights festival at the Boerner Botanical Gardens. This year marks their eighth year of celebrating the Chinese Lantern Festivals with 40 different light exhibits on a nine-acre land. 

The festival converts Boerner into a mesmerizing array of extravagantly colored lights in the shapes of real and fictional creatures. It also includes displays of floral and natural landscapes. 

  • China Lights entrance arch with colored dragons on either side.
    China Lights entrance arch with colored dragons on either side. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Close-up of exhibit of a lit-up bee with floral and temple in back.
    Close-up of exhibit of a lit-up bee with floral and temple in back. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Dragon exhibit changing colors to red.
    Dragon exhibit changing colors to red. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo

Alongside being able to enjoy the wide variety of exhibits as you walk through, China Lights provides a designated area for sitting and grabbing food from local vendors. The area highlights fusion cuisine and Asian-centered foods. They also offer a variety of traditional Chinese dancing performers throughout the night for guests to enjoy.

My first time at this festival after living in Milwaukee my entire life was an extremely beautiful and impressive journey. Each exhibit is hand-made, totaling over 200 hours to complete. The builders’ hard work is obvious in every exhibit’s ability to captivate their audiences.  

  • Blue Dragon near entrance of China Lights.
    Blue Dragon near entrance of China Lights. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Pumpkins, flowers, and green vines lit up atop a path through exhibits.
    Pumpkins, flowers, and green vines lit up atop a path through exhibits. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Animatronic peacock with spread out feathers, with a praying mantis in front.
    Animatronic peacock with spread out feathers, with a praying mantis in front. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo

Within the festival, there are many different photo opportunities. Towards the front of the festival, there’s an Instagram cardboard cut-out. Near the end, there’s a wide tunnel with a colorful display of willow leaves hanging down. Not only is it a perfect photo op, but the festival also provides a perfect ambiance to enjoy a date night.

Not feeling romantic? No worries, China Lights is a family-oriented event that offers a playground for younger guests. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the lights and experience a long-standing Asian tradition in a new and unique setting. The pathways allow you to feel extremely immersed in the experience and capture photos in exciting lights. 

  • Temple with an Instagram cardboard cutout for photos.
    Temple with an Instagram cardboard cutout for photos. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Tunnel through exhibits with rainbow LEDs of willow tree leaves hanging down.
    Tunnel through exhibits with rainbow LEDs of willow tree leaves hanging down. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Rainforest light exhibit with trees and large animatronic frog.
    Rainforest light exhibit with trees and large animatronic frog. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo
  • Multi-colored dragon light display from the back angle of the dragon.
    Multi-colored dragon light display from the back angle of the dragon. Credit: Jaeden Carrasquillo

China Lights is running Sept. 13-Oct. 27 for their 2024 season. Boerner Botanical Gardens is located at 9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners, Wisconsin.  

Ticket costs range from $16-$23 with several different afternoon/evening time slots. Free general parking is included in the ticket price.   

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