banner - variety of wild lights animals, blue elephants; yellow, orange, brown giraffes, yellow w/blk stripes zebras, blue zebra, yellow leopards, large brown alligator, blue ostrich, with orange brown trees, with green, aqua foliage leaves, background is all black

Wild Lights: Asian Lantern Festival Presented by T-Mobile Extended Through Sunday, Aug. 30 (Media Release)

Louisville Zoo guests have more time to experience festival with reduced attendance

The stunning Wild Lights: Asian Lantern Festival, presented by T-Mobile and sponsored by Ford and Republic Bank, has been extended for an additional weekend based on the overwhelming response from Louisville Zoo fans. The festival resumed on July 9 after the Zoo reopened and was set to run until Aug. 28 but will now be extended for an additional two days until Aug. 30 due to high demand and decreased capacities. Wild Lights is one of the most extensive Chinese lantern festivals in the nation and our community’s first-ever outdoor Chinese lantern festival of its kind. The event was previously postponed in the spring due to COVID-19.

Tickets for Wild Lights are sold out for this coming weekend, Aug. 14-16. Zoo guests will only have two more weekends to catch the magnificent illumination festival before it leaves town. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting attendance to ensure proper social distancing, there is a limited number of tickets available. In partnership with Tianyu Arts & Culture, the festival provides opportunities for an educational and cultural experience to guests of all ages.

Tickets are available at wildlightslouisville.com. All guests must purchase tickets online in advance. Tickets will not be available at the Zoo’s gate due to COVID-19 restrictions. Louisville Zoo member pricing is $15.50 per ticket. Non-members pricing is $18.50 per ticket. Children 2 and under are free. Family four-pack pricing is available at $50 for members and $60 for non-members. Family four-pack ticket buyers must enter the event together. A $5 parking fee will be included on all orders.

Guests will select tickets for the day and time they would like to enter the festival to help manage attendance capacities. Entry will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. each night. The Zoo will close at 11 p.m.

The Zoo will honor all Wild Lights tickets that were purchased before the event’s COVID-19 postponement. Those with previous tickets will be able to attend on any date of the festival by showing their tickets at the ticket windows.

The 1.4-mile event route is wheelchair and stroller friendly on a paved path. The path goes one direction and guests may enjoy one loop through the route to see the beautiful lanterns. A limited menu will be available at select food stands. Please note that masks are required to enter and must be worn in high-traffic areas of the Zoo.

More details and frequently asked questions are available at wildlightslouisville.com.

About Wild Lights

More than 2,000 intricate lanterns displayed in 65 larger-than-life scenes will illuminate the Zoo with over 50,000 LED bulbs. The path includes a 1.4-mile trail alongside favorites like a 131-foot-long dragon, a color-changing panda tree, a walk-­through shark tunnel, fairy forest and more. Interactive displays will allow guests to leap from lily pad to lily pad and pose with our glowing wings.

Wild Lights is in partnership with Tianyu Arts & Culture, an international event design company. Tianyu has produced 56 lantern events in 38 cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Tianyu is expanding on this success in Louisville to create one of the more comprehensive lantern festivals in the nation.

Wild Lights is presented by T-Mobile. Sponsors include Ford Motor Company and Republic Bank. Special thanks to Crane House and University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences.

About the Louisville Zoo

The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

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