Officials at the Toledo Zoo hope a new event this year will become an autumn tradition in the Glass City.
Luminous Nights, which begins Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 29, will feature about 500 lanterns throughout zoo grounds. Some of the pieces measure upwards of 19 feet tall and 50 feet long.
“They are beautiful and can be viewed both day and night,” said Dennis Schnurbusch, director of visitor services.
Mr. Schnurbusch said he was researching ideas for a fall event and came across lantern displays at other facilities.
“A similar show was at a botanical garden outside of Green Bay,” he said. “It proved to be a very popular attraction for them.”
The lanterns in varying botanical and animal shapes are made of a silk-like fabric stretched over a metal frame and illuminated from within by LED lights.
They were handmade by Chinese artisans, and a group of 30 artisans will be on hand during the event to tend to each piece as needed.
“We want to make sure each time guests come out, the experience is the best it can be,” zoo spokesman Shayla Bell Moriarty said.
Luminous Nights will operate similarly to the zoo’s extremely popular Lights Before Christmas display with extended evening hours.
It will feature free scheduled activities including an outdoor movie night, a community scarecrow building showcase, pie-eating contests, family pumpkin carving nights, woodcarving demonstrations, games, and crafts.
The sky bridge and zipline of the Expedition Africa Aerial Adventure Course will have extended weekend hours during Luminous Nights, and the annual Zoo Brew also has been shifted back about a month to Oct. 6 to coincide with the new attraction.
Mr. Schnurbusch said the new event should draw more visitors to the zoo during a time attendance generally slows between the summer season and Lights Before Christmas.
“It gives us another opportunity to make a connection,” Mr. Schnurbusch said. “We feel like the more people we can bring out and expose to what we do here, the better we all are long-term.”
Additional earned revenue also might help bridge the seasonal gap and reduce the zoo’s reliance on property tax levies.
“We’re trying to stay relevant all year round,” Mrs. Moriarty said. “We want our visitors to be able to experience the zoo in a number of different ways.”
The zoo plans to host Luminous Nights for at least two years, but will continue the event annually if well received.
“We would like this to become a fall tradition,” Mrs. Moriarty said.
Admission for the Luminous Nights will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday with the zoo closing an hour after last admission. The cost for zoo members is $14 for adults and $11 for seniors and children. The cost for nonmembers is $17 for adults and $14 for seniors and children.
More information is available online at toledozoo.org/luminousnights.
Contact Alexandra Mester amester@theblade.com, 419-724-6066 or on Twitter @AlexMesterBlade.
First Published August 4, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
