(upbeat music) - Red Butte Garden welcomes the return of a Garden After Dark, a whimsical fall festival where nature meets imagination.

Jason Alba joins us to give us a behind-the-scenes look at this year's event.

Hi Jason.

- Hi.

- This is one of my favorite things to do at Red Butte.

It's so fun and so creative and imaginative.

Tell me why Garden After Dark is a program that you guys continue to do year after year.

- We do this year after year because it's a fun way to merge what we do, which is connect people with plants, in a really fun, unique way.

And what better way to do that than with Halloween and connecting people with plants during the Halloween season?

- Yeah, and this year it's called, let's see, "Trouble in Oz."

- Yes.

- That sounds really ominous, which is appropriate for Halloween.

- Exactly.

Yep.

- And we were just talking like, that's one that I've been to and you said you're bringing it back, but there's a lot of new elements.

- So it is a repeat theme, but there are brand new elements to the entire thing.

So brand new decorations, lighting, performers, all sorts of fun things for people to enjoy as they walk around.

Plus a new twist on the story.

So we'll have a new story experience for everybody to experience as they walk around and experience Garden After Dark.

- Yeah, and I loved it.

It's just like you go to the gardens and it feels so different, first of all, because you are there after dark, which you don't usually get to visit the garden after dark.

So it's really fun.

Tell people what they might see that will surprise them.

- I think some of the fun things that they'll see this year, everything from a really spectacular Emerald City scene in our Rose House to Flying Monkeys hidden throughout the entire garden.

We have a huge Munchkin Land scene that's gonna be out there.

And, of course, we've got the Wicked Witch.

She's gonna be making an appearance out there, so keep your eye open for her.

- Yeah, like the Santa of Halloween is gonna be there to visit everyone.

(Laura laughing) Oh, that's great.

And you talk about performers.

Tell us a little bit about what-- - Yeah, so we have a bunch of local performers that will be there, everyone from a few bands, we've got some storytellers, we've got a puppet troupe.

Puppets in the City is going to be there doing little puppet performances.

So it's really fun.

Every night you come, there will be different performers there that you can experience and see as you walk around and enjoy Garden After Dark.

- That's amazing and appropriate for families.

It sounds just like the perfect event.

Thank you.

- Yes, exactly.

- Thank you so much for being here to tell us about it.

- Thank you.

- If you would like to learn more about Garden After Dark at Red Butte Gardens, it's their fall festival.

It's happening October 16th through the 30th.

You can learn more at redbuttegarden.org.

That's redbuttegarden.org.

I'm Laura Durham and thank you for watching Contact.

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