Astra Lumina’s holiday experience in Seattle 

Is it worth the price? Astra Lumina’s highs and lows explored. 

By J.A. Aleman

On Dec. 21, 2024, I went to the Astra Lumia immersive night walk at the Seattle Chinese Garden, created by Moment Factory and presented by Fever. I went with no prior knowledge or expectations and after attending I had mixed emotions about it. 

The night walk had 9 thematic areas to see and only some were actually immersive while some of the others were lacking in comparison. However, the experience overall was unique and had real potential. 

This is the second year that the event has been here in Seattle. The Ledger emailed Fever and asked if anything would be different this year. Fever responded, “in cities where Astra Lumina is a recurring event, the show remains consistent each year, allowing audiences to revisit and enjoy the captivating experience.” 

Fever added, “Astra Lumina was inspired by humanity’s universal fascination with the night sky. It reimagines our timeless wonder. Instead of us reaching for the stars, what if the stars reached out to us?” 

We purchased our tickets and parking ahead of time and arrived at 8:15 p.m. because I wanted it to be dark so we could enjoy the lights. I found a family bundle that dropped the ticket price to $24.90 per single ticket from the original $34.90 and parking was $12. 

Prices vary depending on the time of day you attend and on the day of the week, with prices going up on the weekends to shy of $40. The event is nightly from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and programed with new groups entering the event in 15-minute intervals. 

The sky was not completely clear because it rained the entire day, but fortunately it let up enough for us to take this hour long walk. We were all bundled up and ready to walk through the trails and be guided only by lights in the distance that signaled the star gazing events. 

Before we crossed over to our journey, we were instructed to scan a QR code with our phone so we can better understand what we are supposed to be viewing at each stop. I was confused for a moment because I thought this was a night walk where we were going to be surrounded by lights and the night sky. Still, I had no issue if this was going to be a learning experience as well. 

I’m a parent and it was dark. I had to stop, read, experience and keep track of my kids all at once. This became not just distracting but a bit stressful and I’m even considered to be a great multitasker by those close to me. 

I was initially excited, but then quickly found myself distracted by the prompts I was reading on my phone explaining what I was supposed to understand about each stop on the trail. This also got me thinking about how this could impact the way senior citizens would experience the event. 

The prompts were whimsical and had confusing language and tone. I understood what the intent was but about halfway through the walk I ignored my phone and paid more attention to my surroundings. I found this was better than having to stop walking and read my phone. 

Stars don’t need help with being magical or fantastical. Stars have their own allure, and they have guided people for centuries without major explanations. Using my phone took me out of the immersive part of the walk. I would’ve preferred to experience the art on my own as I would at a museum and come to my own interpretation. 

To be honest, I have never experienced anything like this before so I have nothing I can compare it to. Each event on the trail was timed and the lights would change and dance for us. 

This felt like a museum outside with twinkling lights at night. This was clear to me but the part that I missed was the immersive one. That was the part that sounded very attractive to me to begin with. 

In one of the areas, we were surrounded by lasers and that made our minds bend and gravity felt as if it shifted. In another area we zig zagged up a hill surrounded by lights spiked into the ground and this felt like we were on another planet. These were saved until the back end of the walk. I wish it was like this all the way through as this is what I would call immersive. 

Part way through my family wanted to stop and grab something hot to drink. They had a cafe and bar set up where attendees could grab some alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. 

It was a busy day, and the employee told me they had run out of hot chocolate. I understand that’s part of business, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit upset because they didn’t run out of alcohol. They should’ve thought ahead that entire families would be coming, not just adults or younger adults without children, making the experience feel a bit less inclusive. 

The crowd that we walked with made me feel a bit rushed. I realized they were probably feeling the same thing I was. We truly didn’t see what this was all about. 

There were lights, structures which were meant to help visualize some type of cosmic event, fog machines adding to the mystery and setting the mood for the imagination to be engaged. Despite this, I was left to feel disengaged. 

By the time we reached the end, we were all ready to leave. It was clear my family and I felt the same way about what we experienced. We were expecting to be surrounded by the stars. Not just mystical sounds and flashing lights. 

Would I go again? It’s a false advertisement to call the walk immersive. At best, they should advertise that it’s a chance to come take some cool pictures for social media. Here’s an example from heykelseyj’s Instagram. 

I’m a storyteller and I must admit, I didn’t get the story they were trying to tell. I enjoyed the walk with my family, and they seemed to enjoy that part too, however, the information the organization provided about the art made it less enjoyable. This was really just a walk at night with the Chinese Garden lit up in a different way and it definitely wasn’t worth the high price we paid. 

In the end, I can’t knock the hustle and it was nice to see something original in the garden.