Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Festival of Lights
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden PNC Festival of Lights is an annual event. The 2009-2010 Festival of Lights was the 27th year that the zoo has put on the celebration. The festival, which runs through December into the beginning of January each year, features interactive events, activities and, of course, lights around the entire premises. The lights are especially impressive after dark, at which point there is a show coordinated with music. Does this Spark an idea?
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The Basics
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According to CincinnatiZoo.org, the Festival of Lights is "the region's most anticipated holiday event." On top of the nightly light shows, there is a puppet theater, a chance to meet Mrs. Claus, rapping elves, reindeer petting, train rides, a 4-D movie, New Year's Eve fire works and much more. Cincinatti Magazine named the Festival of Lights one of the city's best "Dark Deeds" in December 2009, meaning it is one of the best nighttime activities.
Light Show
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The nightly light show is the main attraction at the Festival of Lights. The 2.5 million lights are coordinated to music each night. According to CincinnatiZoo.org, one of the best places to watch the lights is at the zoo's Swan Lake where "21-foot-tall computer-controlled tree with thousands of LED lights dance to the beat of popular holiday songs." In addition, the festival boasts a "35-foot-tall International Tree, blanketed with more than 20,000 LED lights."
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Other Activities
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According to the zoo's 2009 online informational pamphlet on the festival, there are several activities not be missed, aside from the light show. Be sure to check out the "Winter Wonders" puppet show which features "an array of holiday themes including snowmen, ice skating, and even dancing marshmallows!" There are also nightly showings of "The Polar Express" in 4-D in the zoo's Special FX 4-D Theater. According to the zoo, "you don't just watch the movie but you feel it and smell it."
Admission
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Admission to the Festival of Lights is the same price as normal zoo admission. As of 2010, adults may enter the zoo for $25, children under 13 years old may enter for $20 and people over 61 years old may enter for $20. The zoo's website offers discounts of up to $2 for purchasing tickets online. There are even a handful of special half-price nights every year. The half off tickets, however, must be purchased at the zoo, and cannot be bought online.
Go Green Project
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In 2008, the Festival of Lights began its Go Green program. The program, which is meant to make the festival as environmentally sound as possible, has been in effect, as of 2010, for two full festivals. The implementation of the program, according to CincinnatiUSA.com, has seen the effective replacement of all 2.5 million lights in the show with LED lights. According to ClimateToday.org, LED lights contain no mercury, which means it does not need to be mined. In addition, they need less energy to produce more light than other, less environmentally sound bulbs.
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References
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- Photo Credit christmas lights image by Tonda from Fotolia.com
