When the Midsummer Night's Gleam at Foster Botanical Garden started 30 years ago, volunteers had plenty of towels and buckets of water on hand to prevent women's mu'umu'u from catching on fire and igniting precious tropical plants. Luckily, the towels and buckets were never put to use.

Since then the midsummer event, held this year on Saturday, has grown into an annual tradition at the oldest of the five Honolulu botanical gardens.

Originally, the garden was simply illuminated for display with candles in various trees and lights lining the walkways, but now it hosts a major event with many activities and entertainment for adults and children.

The idea was conceived by local author and expert landscape architect Loraine Kuck after she visited several luminaire gardens in New Mexico. Wanting to showcase the garden's various endemic and tropical trees and plants — some endangered — the Friends of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens member collaborated with then-Foster Botanical Gardens director Paul Weissich and the garden's largest and most popular night event was born.

"When you're here at night it's so completely different than during the day," said Joyce Spoehr, recreation specialist at the Foster garden. Spoehr said more than 3,000 people attend the free botanical extravaganza each year.

"People get to enjoy the ambiance of the garden at night," said botanical gardens director Winnie Singeo. "And there's something for everybody."

More than 200 volunteers help to put on the event, including local Cub Scout troops who help with the 2,000 candles lit throughout the garden. Although it only takes a week to set up, planning for the event goes on for a year.

The children's festivities are from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and include activities like face painting, fishing for guppies in kiddie pools, animal sculpture, musical pots and pans and a passport plant game.

"Children walk around the garden with a passport and learn about the geography of different plants and paint pictures of them," said Spoehr, who added that it is not only fun for the children but educational as well.

The fun continues until 10 p.m. with a Halloween-like haunted walkway, a wishing tree and a harvest table with tropical fruits and vegetables from around the world.

Guests can also enjoy the garden's scents, with several plants that only bloom at night. "This is the only time people will be able to see and smell certain plants," Singeo said.

Several entertainers will also be on hand, including belly- dancing from the Middle Eastern Dancers of Hawai'i, a jazz band and a guitarist all performing on the garden's stage. A bagpipe player will roam the walkways.

"During the evening, there really are things happening all the time," Spoehr said. "There will even be a random drawing at 9 p.m. where we will give away 100 plants, including sweet potato, taro, breadfruit, ti leaves, yam and banana."

The night will also include the traditional dragon dance weaving throughout the garden; the Golden Horde, in the Mongolian encampment section of the garden, providing a bow and arrow show; and dancing.

Food and drinks will be provided by Simply Ono.