ORANGE BEACH – The Wharf will come to life twice a night this summer with more than just a light show — it’s described as a “multisensory immersive experience.”

 Shoppers and diners got a sneak preview of the first, water-themed 12-minute show Saturday night. A second show, featuring patriotic music will debut Thursday night during the Orange Beach Billfish Classic, said Wharf owner Art Favre.

 Starting May 24, both shows will be played nightly. The water show will be at 8:30 and the patriotic show at 10.

 “It’s really an amazing thing to see,” said show designer John Steenhoven. “We had kids and adults out dancing in the street.”

 The show features 19 palm trees covered with LEDs. In addition, there is uplighting on the trees, street lighting from the sides of buildings as well as spinning theatrical lights that offer a wide variety of features, including projecting pirate ships sailing down the street.  Add to that a massive surround sound system and you have two blocks of pure excitement.

 “We were looking for something unique,” said Favre, “something that would make people think about The Wharf after a day at the beach or fishing. After they go back to the room and clean up, we wanted someplace the whole family could go to.

 “We created an experience. There is nothing like it in the world. Since we have all the equipment installed, it gives us the opportunity to do different things later.”

 Steenhoven, who has designed and overseen special effects at places like Radio City Music Hall in New York City, came to Orange Beach last August to start on the project. When he saw the huge palm trees in the middle of the main boulevard, he knew they would make up the main stars of the show. Jon Adcock of PTE productions began installing the thousands of lights and the miles of wiring in early March.

 “There is a huge infrastructure, but we have all the wiring underground,” said Steenhoven. “We actually started tweaking the system Tuesday (May 7). We’ve got three separate volume levels, depending on the size of the crowd.

 “The goal is to have fun. Even with the first test, you could see shop owners out dancing in the street. I’ve been in the theme park business for years and there has never been anything like this on this scale.”

 While the show does stretch two blocks, it is environmentally friendly. The LED lighting uses very little electricity. The smoke and fog effects during the show are just water mist.

 “It’s really a very green show,” said Steenhoven.

 Favre’s concept of making The Wharf a family-friendly destination is augmented by recent additions. The area is known for condos, dining, shopping, the Ferris wheel, laser tag and concerts at the amphitheater. The complex has recently added a movie theater, sunset cruises, helicopter tours and Sharky’s Adventure Park, featuring a miniature golf course, will open Memorial Day weekend.