Lighting Up the Night

Twinkly lights and festive fun await visitors at Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana, this holiday season. The sixth year of the Winterlights festival is now underway through Jan. 8, 2023.

Winterlights features 1.5 million outdoor lights scattered across various seasonal scenes. Landscape of Light, the synchronized light show in front of Lilly House, welcomes visitors of all ages with tunes from the “Nutcracker.” The cheerful music throughout the garden and across Snowflake Bridge is enough to raise the spirits of any Scrooge.

Photo by Evansville Living staff. The majority of Winterlights is an outdoor walking experience — so bundle up — but guests are invited inside the historic Lilly House to see elaborate handmade decorations.

New experiences make the season bright — most notably, the impressive sculpture “Big Piñata” commemorates the Latin American seasonal celebration, Las Posadas. Newfields will partner with Arte Mexicano en Indiana on Dec. 15 for a one-night celebration of Las Posadas. Dec. 18, the campus will host Latkes and Lights, a Hanukkah celebration in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis. Indianapolis artists Owens + Crawley created “Astraeus,” an interactive exhibit that guides guests to the experience’s Winter Market.

The majority of Winterlights is an outdoor walking experience — so bundle up — but guests are invited inside the historic Lilly House to see elaborate handmade decorations. An elevated ticket experience, the Winterwonder Pass, allows visitors to ascend to the second floor of Lilly House and overlook Landscape of Lights. This pass includes a flexible arrival time, a Winterlights goodie bag, drinks and treats, and more holiday surprises.

While an annual edible highlight is DIY s’mores from the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, this year’s Winterlights also features gingerbread popcorn from Just Pop In! and giant chocolate chip cookies from Circle City Sweets. For guests looking for extra warmth, Ash & Elm Cider Co. crafted an exclusive Sugar Plum Snow Day hard cider.

The Winter Market greets guests with a chance to eat, drink, shop, and be merry. Toward the end of Winterlights, the Ice Storm Walk dazzles with the sounds of whistling wind near the enormous Finale Tree.

Advance tickets are required for all guests and members and come at a range of prices. Parking is available primarily at Newfields and is also available nearby the International School of Indiana and the Indiana Interchurch Center.

Winterlights
5-9 p.m. Eastern through Jan. 8, 2023
Newfields, 4000 N. Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana
317-923-1331

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Jodi Keen
Jodi Keen
Jodi Keen is the managing editor of Evansville Living and Evansville Business magazines.

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