Asian Lantern Festival

The third annual Asian Lantern Festival features an entirely new collection of hand-crafted Asian lanterns that will light up the night every week! Experience over 40 displays showcasing a wide variety of dinosaurs, plant and animal life from the Amazon Rainforest, and other immersive and interactive lanterns that flash, move, glow, smoke and more.

Please note that indoor exhibits will be closed and most resident Zoo animals will not be visible.

Event Features

• Over 40 unique lantern displays featuring dinosaurs, rainforest animals, and a wide variety of other decorations
• Dynamic and immersive lanterns that move, expel fog, change color, flash, shimmer and more
• Interactive displays and games that encourage touching, swinging, stomping and playing
• Tour the Zoo at night
• Exclusive gift shop items including glow-in-the-dark shirts, dinosaur and panda stuffed animals, glowing toys, souvenir cups and more

Extra Festival Fun, FREE with admission

• November 29-30: Open the Chick-fil-A app while you're inside the Zoo to receive a free chicken sandwich in the app! Don't have the app? Just download it and open it on Zoo grounds to receive your free sandwich!
• November 30: Make your own lantern while supplies last!
• November 30 at 6 and 7:30 PM under the pavilion: Watch the fascinating, interactive beauty of a traditional Chinese Lion Dance! The Chien Hong School of Kung Fu will perform a rhythmic dance that dates back thousands of years and is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. The dance includes drums, ancient weapons, multiple styles of kung fu and a large lion costume.
• December 13, 14, 20, and 21: Get your picture with Santa Claus, FREE with event admission! Make sure to bring your own camera to capture this precious holiday memory. Santa will be in the Education Building until 8 p.m. each night.