TACOMA, Wash — Zoolights, the Northwest's longest running light show, is celebrating 35 years at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium by offering more to see and more lights to light up the night.
This year there are 800-thousand colorful LED lights on display.
Visitors will see the purple and green Flame Tree which has been around practically from the beginning. Over the years it has been joined by such family favorites as the polar bear trio, the 100-foot pink and orange octopus, and the Seahawks 12 tree.
As you can imagine it takes a lot of work to brighten up these dark Northwest nights in such a spectacular fashion .
"Crews working on the custodial team, the agricultural team, plumbers, electricians, carpenters switch over in early October to become the ZooLights team," said deputy director Sarah Oliver. "They work together to create all of these exhibits on their own, and it's just an amazing celebration of nature and the joys of the season."
Along with classic activities like the holiday carousel, this year the zoo offers something new. There's a beer garden and, at the Zoolights Glow Trailer near the Flame Tree, you can try a campfire pudgy pie for $7. These are toasted sandwiches with warm apple cinnamon filling that can be cooked over an open flame.
A S'more kit family pack, which serves four, can be purchased for $20.
Visitors can also get their photos taken with a friendly polar bear mascot.
Zoolights is a dazzling experience but this season a herd of goats threatens to outshine all the lights.
Kids can't seen to get enough of the friendly goats on display and the goats couldn't get enough of the food pellets the kids offered up.
They're also part of the Groovy Goats display at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. This is a one of a kind holiday-themed private encounter. For an additional cost ($100 for a group of five zoo members) visitors can arrive early and spend some quality time with the likes of Snap, Buckle, and Juniper. Have you really lived if you've never groomed a goat?
Last year Zoolights sold out so if you want to visit this year, purchase your tickets online ahead of time. They are timed tickets to limit the number of people visiting at the same time, and to make sure there's enough free parking for everyone.
Zoolights tickets run from $6 to $16. The event runs through Jan. 2nd.
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