Replete with big tent carnival music and fun house mirrors, the Orchid Show of Wonders kicked off on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Chicago Botanic Garden creating the whimsical world of a circus full of blooms.
Ellis Hoffman of Northfield attends the Orchid Show every year at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
“The theme is more cohesive this year,” Hoffman said. “The joy and variety of a circus adds to the pure beauty of the orchids.”
This tenth annual show runs through March 24 and features 10,000 fresh blooms under the big top. Each of the Garden’s indoor galleries celebrates the delightful nostalgia of carnivals and the enchantment of the circus.
“We are excited to showcase an orchid spectacle unlike any other this year,” said Associate Vice President of the garden’s visitor events and programs Jodi Zombolo. “This Show provides a new twist on the circus that is sure to entertain visitors of all ages.”
According to Zombolo, the show features blooming displays inspired by carnival and circus attractions such as Ferris wheel seats, unicycles on tightropes, a vintage open-air photo booth and other gravity-defying surprises, all while classic circus tunes play.
Carrie Malnor of Northbrook attended Saturday’s opening with family and friends.
“This imaginative event offers a magical experience for our entire family, all the nature-inspired whimsy and color – it’s just what we need on a Saturday morning in the middle of a cold Chicago Winter,” Malnor said.
Chicago Botanic Garden volunteer Mary Vreugdenhil says with this year’s theme they hope to appeal to younger audiences, explore the laws of physics and enchant visitors with references to the entertainment history of the circus.
Lisa Vadola of Morton Grove attended with her family.
“We are Garden members and come every year, but this year’s show is especially accessible to our young children,” Vadola said.
Throughout the Orchid Show, additional programming on select Thursday and Friday evenings includes Orchids After Hours, a captivating way to experience a nighttime viewing of the show. Cocktails and light bites, including cotton candy and funnel cakes, will be available for purchase.
This year, Zombolo said, the garden wanted to create a show filled with wonderment, nostalgia and fun.
“We are always looking for ways to attract a younger and more diverse audience, and to providing new experiences for our visitors who return every year – in this circus event, the orchid blooms are the main performers,” Zombolo said.
For more information and to purchase tickets to The Orchid Show of Wonders, go to https://www.chicagobotanic.org/orchid.
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
