Holiday Lights to Return to the Bronx Zoo Starting Nov. 20th

BRONX – Nothing can keep New York down when it comes to being the holiday capital of the world – and this year is no different. The Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights, a family-favorite holiday light experience, will be back starting November 20, bringing New Yorkers much-needed joy for the winter season.

Holiday Lights will be on select dates from November 20 to January 10 with a WCS member preview November 17-19. Tickets for Holiday Lights must be purchased in advance and are now available online. A 30-percent early bird discount is available for all ticket purchases made before October 4, 2020.

This year’s experience will encompass a larger area of the zoo and be organized to accommodate social distancing and eliminate bottleneck areas. The zoo will have almost 50 more animal lanterns than last year and will create five geographically representative lantern safaris that include species from different regions of the world.

Entertainment will include holiday-themed music, ice carving demonstrations, costumed characters, stilt walkers, souvenirs, and seasonal treats like hot chocolate and s’mores. As s’mores have been so popular, we are going from 4 to 12 s’more fire pits.

“2020 has been a trying year for all of us and has once again shown the resiliency of New York City and New Yorkers,” said Jim Breheny, Bronx Zoo Director and WCS Executive Vice President for Zoos & Aquarium “The city has always been the center of the holiday universe, and The Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights will help bring a sense of normalcy to the city.

The experience is all outdoors and appropriately designed to accommodate social distancing.

“The Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights is a beloved tradition for thousands of New Yorkers and visitors. This year’s festivities are especially important to the community because they provide families with a safe way to celebrate the holiday season,” said Frances A. Resheske, Con Edison’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs. “We are proud to be presenting sponsor of this event and we thank The Bronx Zoo for putting on a world class show year after year.”

While celebrating the holiday season, all events and activities have been modified to meet all safety guidelines as directed by the State of New York. All guests over 3 years old are required to socially distance and wear face coverings, and all tickets are date-specific and must be purchased in advance online. For a full list of COVID-19 protocols, visit the zoo’s Know Before You Go page.

WCS members will receive a 40-percent discount and the opportunity to preview Holiday Lights on November 17-19 before the festivities open to the public on November 20. Members at the Conservation Supporter level will receive free admission to Holiday Lights.
Visit the website for information, tickets and the full schedule of activities.

About the Bronx Zoo: The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinarian care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. For more information, visit www.BronxZoo.com.

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