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Louisville Zoo extends Wild Lights

The Louisville Zoo

The popular Wild Lights: Asian Lantern Festival Presented by T-Mobile has been extended and will be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from July 9 – August. 28. 

Wild Lights is one of the largest Chinese lantern festivals in the nation and our community’s first-ever outdoor Chinese lantern festival.  The event was previously postponed due to COVID-19.

“Wild Lights was very popular with our guests for the two weeks of the festival that we were able to enjoy before we closed for COVID-19 measures,” said Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak. “Every day we have been asked about Wild Lights and we are delighted to be able to work with Tianyu Arts & Culture to extend the festival and allow more of our community the chance to see these beautifully illuminated lanterns and learn more about Asian culture.”

Tickets are available at WildLightsLouisville.com. All guests must purchase tickets online in advance. Tickets will not be available at the Zoo 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 for $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 to help manage attendance capacities. Entry will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. 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.

More details and frequently asked questions are available at http://Wildlightslouisville.com

More than 2,000 intricate lanterns displayed in 65 larger-than-life scenes will illuminate the Zoo with over 50,000 LED bulbs. 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 welcoming over 258 million visitors. After successful runs in other major U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans, and Atlanta, Tianyu is expanding on this success in Louisville to create one of the largest 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.

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).

(provided by The Louisville Zoo)

Paul Hitchcock earned his Masters in Communications from Morehead State University and Bachelors in Radio-TV/Psychology from Georgetown College. A veteran broadcaster for more than 40 years and an avid fan of blues, jazz and American roots music. Hitchcock has been with WMKY since 1986 and was named General Manager in 2003. He currently hosts "Muddy Bottom Blues" (Fri., 8pm-9pm), "Nothin' But The Blues" (Sat., 8pm-12am), "Sunday Night Jazz Showcase" and "Live From The Jazz Lounge" (Sun., 8pm-9pm) and "The Golden Age of Radio" (Sun., 2pm-3pm). He also serves as producer for "A Time For Tales" and "The Reader's Notebook."
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