ZOOLIGHTS!!

December, 2019

Our friends, Bob and Marlene, with props to man’s best friend Winston, invited us for a double date to attend the Phoenix Zoo’s magical December tradition – Zoolights.  The whole place was gift-wrapped with millions of sparkling lights that cover hundreds of trees and lively displays.  As the sun went down the Zoo was transformed into a winter wonderland of softly lit animals and elegant trees, walkways, and gardens.  Animal-shaped armatures featuring giraffes, snakes, butterflies, ants, dinosaurs, hippos, lions, bears and zoo animals greeted visitors as they strolled the colorful paths. We wondered how the live zoo animals adjusted to this amazing transformation.

We could only imagine how many people it took to plan, design and create the hundreds of displays throughout the Zoo.  We craned our necks to look at an extraordinary display of lights in massive old trees that are several stories tall.  We were hard-pressed to guess what kind of large equipment it took to decorate the Zoo, and it boggled the mind to try to figure out how many people and how many hours it took to complete these extraordinary displays.  Just to decorate the massive trees must have been a monumental task – some trees changed colors; others created illusions of fireworks.

Honestly, Brian expected this to be fairly pedestrian; fun to spend the evening with friends, but a cutesy type of display pandering to families with small children.  How wrong he was (yet again)!

As we entered we were given a glimpse of things to come…

…and then walked across a short bridge to be met by employees who handed each of us polarizing eye wear that distorted the shape and color of the lights – reminded us (Barbara suggested that I speak only about myself?) of experiences that were had in the 1960s…

Pictures Taken By Using The Camera’s Night Setting And Holding A Lens Of The Polarizing Glasses To The Camera’s Lens

 

 

This year’s theme was “Glow Wild.”  The Zoo was alive with the brilliance of millions of twinkling and dancing lights, a three-story-high holiday tree, live reindeer, a 200-foot long polar slide, photos with Santa, camel rides (yes we did!), and a lakeside music-in-motion light show.

The large lagoon in the middle of the Zoo featured a fanciful array of lights synchronized to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Dream of Fireflies” and classical holiday carols. The lights flashed off and on and created such a warm and festive atmosphere.

…But this is ZOOlights…bring on the animals!

Some animals on display were constructed of wire frames covered in thousands of multi-colored twinkling lights…

New this year was a 60-animal safari created using an oriental style of lantern manufacture; wire frames covered with a painted silk skin and lit from the inside (called armatures).  The resulting artistry looks like stained glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were no grumpy people or unhappy children in the park tonight. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. Many heartfelt thanks to the Phoenix Zoo Board of Directors and the hundreds of employees and volunteers who made the ZooLights experience so memorable. What a fabulous show! We’ll definitely be back next year!

Barbara and Brian