Publisher received complimentary tickets in order to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed herein are my own.
GLOW WILD Lantern Festival at CT's Beardsley Zoo
A wonderland of 53 illuminated larger-than-life lanterns spanning the width and breadth of the Zoo's 30 acres!
My son and I had the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful fall evening walking around CT's Beardsley Zoo taking in the beauty of the GLOW WILD Lantern Festival. The illuminated displays began at the entrance to the parking lot and continued throughout the entire zoo! Around every corner was a new display to see or interact with.
It took us about 30 minutes to make our way around the Zoo loop. We then went back to some of our favorite displays which included the panda display with the dry ice bubble machine and the water lily tunnel, pictures below. By the time we were walking back to the car we had spent a little over an hour exploring and enjoying the lanterns.
Each display includes a sign with a name and description so the viewer can learn about the significance and meaning behind the lantern in Chinese culture. I thought that this feature was fantastic but my son is 7 and had very little interest in reading about the lanterns. The Zoo says that this event is designed for everyone to enjoy and I would agree. My son enjoyed the interactive displays and the beauty of the lights, I enjoyed that as well but would have liked to spend more time learning and reading about the meaning of these lanterns in Chinese culture. I saw groups of adults in their fifties and sixties doing exactly that and I saw families with young children admiring the beauty and detail of each lantern as they strolled by. This event really does appeal to all ages and interests!
If you haven't been to GLOW WILD yet and are thinking about it or are just learning about it, I recommend that you check it out. It is a fantastic and unique event that we have in our area.
GLOW WILD is open from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 2nd.
Timed tickets should be purchased online in advance and offered in half hour increments. A small number of tickets may be available at the door, depending upon Zoo capacity.
Adult tickets (ages 12 +) are $22
Children (11 and under) are $20
Children age 2 and under and adults age 76 and older are free
Wheelchairs and strollers will be available to rent on a first come first serve basis.
**TICKET GIVEAWAY**
MacaroniKID Fairfield-Trumbull-Shelton has a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky email newsletter subscriber!
Tickets are good for any Glow Wild Lantern Festival date/time through December 2, 2023.
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!!!
CONGRATS TO N. JAMES OF FAIRFIELD!
One entry per person/email address. Winner must be a MacaroniKID Fairfield-Trumbull-Shelton email newsletter subscriber. Winners will be notified by email and will have up to 24 hours to respond otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn.
ABBREVIATED RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES RECEIVED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. DO NOT ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES IF YOU ARE NOT EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AS OF OCTOBER 21, 2023 AND A LEGAL RESIDENT OF AND CURRENTLY RESIDING IN ONE OF THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SEE FULL OFFICIAL RULES HERE.
