Ready Set Glow
The heart-shaped shoreline of Lake Merritt is the oldest wildlife refuge in the United States. Designated in 1870 — largely to put a stop to urban duck hunting — the slough eventually gave rise to Lakeside Park and, at its center, the beautiful, themed Gardens of Lake Merritt. Within these core seven acres, volunteers now tend the Daimyo oak tree, which was presented to the U.S. Ambassador of China during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, and they fortify worldwide butterfly populations by handfeeding caterpillars milkweed. But, tonight, they dance! This weekend, the annual
Autumn Lights Festival fundraiser transforms these tranquil climes into an illuminated wonderland (and silent disco) featuring 40 installations by more than 60 artists. Delicate glass flowers swing from the boughs of the Angel’s Trumpet tree; a human-sized steel praying mantis shoots fire; trees become vibrant kaleidoscopes; flickering tiki totems banish darkness; bioluminescent sea creatures stalk pathways; and lovers meet under the glow of monster flora grown out of fabric and hot air.
— Silke Tudor
415-831-2700
