Winter’s Glow Returns to Penn State Arboretum

The Arboretum at Penn State will open its annual Winter’s Glow celebration on Saturday, Dec. 13, offering an evening of lights, music and family activities for the community from 4 to 8 p.m.

The event includes indoor and outdoor attractions such as the “Handmade Holidays” crafting workshop, two wreath-making sessions, a pop-up print shop with cards made by nature-sketching students, and drinks and treats from Idou Coffee. Bells of Grace and Walter Survivor will perform throughout the evening.

Workshops require preregistration and range from $5 per craft to $35, which covers the cost of materials. The “Handmade Holidays” workshop runs from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Palmer Museum of Art event space for $5 per craft. Two wreath workshops will be held in the museum’s Mimi Barash Coppersmith Studio Classroom from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m., each costing $35.

Marek Pundzak, director of horticulture operations, said this year’s theme highlights plants that bring color and texture to the gardens during the winter season.

“We incorporate locally grown cut trees to enrich open plaza spaces and the Overlook Pavilion. This year’s selections include Korean fir and Douglas fir, both known for their beautiful needles and texture,” Pundzak said in a release. “Our signature feature, a 22-foot Blue Spruce fountain tree, will greet visitors with 2,000 warm-white lights, creating a stunning focal point that can be seen from Park Avenue as you approach the Arboretum.”

Additional displays feature conifers such as Yezo spruce, Mission Blue Colorado spruce, Korean pine, Himalayan pine and Hinoki false cypress. Container arrangements will include dwarf evergreens, red-twig dogwood stems, holly and dried seedheads gathered from the Arboretum’s gardens and meadows.

Community-made ornaments will appear on the CommuniTREE display inside the Palmer Museum of Art.

Public parking in the Katz Building lot is free during the event.

Winter’s Glow lights and landscape features will remain on for evening visits until 9:30 p.m. and for pre-dawn walks from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. through Jan. 18.