Garden after Dark {Halloween at Red Butte Garden!}

Our favorite spot in the city has a Halloween program designed just for kids. Red Butte Garden encourages kids to wear their costumes to attend their annual Garden After Dark.

Astronaut James was so excited to explore the garden with his flashlight but needed a little coaxing from me to get into his costume. Once he saw all the other kids dressed up, he happily got dressed and told us "I really like this outfit! I look really good!" We couldn't agree more.

We arrived just before sunset and walked backwards through the designated loop. This made it so we were the only people on this path late in the day. It's so stunning it doesn't even look real.

Fall paradise.

Juliet didn't really dress up, she wore her adorable bunny hat and a Halloween shirt and looked comfy and warm.

She really wanted to eat that leaf.

Into the spooky woods with our astronaut. He loved the fog machines and would run in and out of them with the biggest happiest smile.

Good thing he was prepared with his flashlight. And if we'd walked the loop in the correct direction, we would have not made it to this area of the garden before dark.

We were so happy to have it to ourselves before dusk.

I feel like autumn is just as pretty, if not prettier, than any other time in the garden.

Eagle eye E spotted a tiny little cottontail scoot past. So sweet, and so tiny. Glad my snuggle bunny got to see one of her own. ;)

The reason we did the loop in reverse was our waterfall loving boy HAD to see the waterfall before it got dark. Why go to Red Butte at all, if you don't enjoy this spot?

As the sun began to set the sky put on a lovely show.

It just kept getting better and better.

Some things in the garden scared James a bit, and he'd stay close to us, but these pretend ghosts didn't seem to bother him at all. (Astronauts have to be brave, you know.)

Scattered around the garden were craft stations for kids. One was to make a luminary out of a sheet of vellum and a paper plate and float it on the pond. James loved this craft because it involved a flame and water. See his little luminary in the front and center?

As it got darker our astronaut was thrilled to have his flashlight handy.

At the end of the loop we decided on a special treat. Two caramel apples. One drizzled with chocolate (James's choice) and one with chopped almonds (E's choice).

We all agreed the chocolate one was the yummiest. (Oh, and we got to bring a pumpkin home too!)

One thing I knew within the first twenty minutes of arriving, was this had to be a new family tradition. It is so perfect. So us. Red Butte Garden at night, all geared towards kids? Yea, we'll be back next year.

And check out the huge image they projected onto the mountains! So neat.