Tickets Now on Sale for Palm Beach Zoolights, Nov 18-Jan 1

Zoo Lights will illuminate Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society for the holidays starting Friday, November 18, and continuing on select nights through January 1, 2023.

Zoo Lights will illuminate Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society for the holidays starting Friday, November 18, and continuing on select nights through January 1, 2023. This lighted, must-see family event is in its fourth year and has solidified its place as a beloved holiday tradition for many South Florida families. New this year and to add a little extra icing to the night, “snow” will fall periodically in the Fountain Plaza.

Each evening of Zoo Lights, presented by Florida Power & Light Company’s FPL SolarNow™,  the Zoo will reopen at 6:00 PM and feature a WILD holiday celebration including photos with Santa, decadent treats, snowfall, a DJ dance party and plenty of holiday charm. The Zoo’s Winter Wonderland Pavilion will include a special holiday visual experience, not to be missed.

Popular dates will sell out quickly. Zoo Lights attendees can select from two specific times for entry; 6:00 PM and 6:45 PM. Tickets are limited each evening to allow for plenty of room to move about the Zoo. Visit www.palmbeachzoo.org/zoolights to purchase your tickets in advance.

Palm Beach Zoo Annual Members receive special pricing. Ride sharing is encouraged. 

For more than 50 years, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society has provided visitors with up-close and personal animal encounters that connect people to wildlife. Palm Beach Zoo guests explore a WILD ecosystem thriving on 23 lush, tropical acres while discovering hundreds of exotic animals. Visitors enjoy interactive animal experiences, nature and water play, and a lakeside cafe. Palm Beach Zoo participates in AZA Species Survival Plan® programs, ensuring healthy animal populations for rare and endangered species. The impact of a visit to Palm Beach Zoo extends beyond the gates, inspiring people to take action and save wildlife in wild places.

For more information, visit www.palmbeachzoo.org.

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Palm Beach Zoo’s Holiday Spectacular Returns Starting Nov 19; Tickets Now on Sale

While the animals slumber, Palm Beach Zoo is illuminated for the holidays with over one million eco-friendly lights, with the return of the “Zoo Lights“ festival taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 19-Jan. 2, 2022.

WEST PALM BEACH – While the animals slumber, Palm Beach Zoo is illuminated for the holidays with over one million eco-friendly lights, with the return of the “Zoo Lights“ festival taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 19-Jan. 2, 2022.

Each evening of Zoo Lights, the Zoo reopens from 6-9 pm, aglow with themed displays throughout its 23 acres. The festive holiday fun also features photos with Santa (until Dec. 23rd), a DJ holiday dance party, and seasonal treats.

Advanced ticket purchase is recommended, and Zoo Lights attendees can select from two specific times for entry; 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Tickets are limited each evening to allow for plenty of room to move about the Zoo.

Tickets for the event are available at http://www.palmbeachzoo.org/zoolights. Palm Beach Zoo Annual Members receive special pricing. Ride sharing is encouraged.

Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33405-3035, 561-547-9453 (WILD) www.palmbeachzoo.org.

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Early Bird Pricing for Magic of Lights at Jones Beach, Long Island

The Magic of Lights returns to Jones Beach, Long Island, November 19 through January 2, 2022 (courtesy of The Magic of Lights)

Early bird pricing has already opened for Magic of Lights, a family-friendly, drive-through holiday lights festival. The 2.5-mile drive-through experience of dazzling, sparkling, and twinkling series of magical light displays is taking place in two New York City-area locations: PNC Long Island’s Jones Beach State Park and Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, from Friday, November 19 through Sunday, January 2.

Magic of Lights features themed light displays using the latest LED technology and digital animations. It is highlighted by the Illuminating Mega Trees consisting of 120-feet of dancing, lights synchronized to holiday music. Other dazzling festive light displays include Winter Wonderland, The Night Before Christmas, Candyland, Toyland, Sports Row, 12 Days of Christmas, and the notorious Enhancing Tunnel of Lights. In addition, new to this year’s exhibit are the Prehistoric Christmas and Snow Flurry Tunnel.

Magic of Lights is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. (dusk) until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. (dusk) until 11 p.m. (Magic of Lights will be closed on Friday, December 31). For dates, times, and ticket availability, visit magicoflights.com.

Admission is $25 in advance or $35 at the gate on weekdays and $30 in advance or $40 at the gate on weekends through November. Price is based per car and will change in December. Special pricing is available for limousines and buses. Group ticket rates are available. Tickets are available through TicketMaster.com.

Visitors can save $3 on weekday admission when they bring at least two non-perishable food items benefiting Long Island and New Jersey food banks. Other charity nights will be announced in the coming weeks. Last year Magic of Lights’ philanthropy made a meaningful impact in local communities by donating more than $150,000 in cash to local organizations in addition to collecting non-perishable food items, toys, books, coats and more for those who need it most. At Jones Beach, A portion of every entry ticket will support Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Foundation for Long Island State Parks Inc.

The Magic of Lights uses the latest CAD technology and is hand-crafted at the Magic of Lights warehouse in Medina, OH,. The displays combine for more than 10 miles of LED lighting across all presentations, in the trees, and on the buildings. There are 10 different colors of LED bulbs used. The highest scene is 32-feet tall, and the longest is several hundred feet long. The steel displays are designed, bent, cut, and welded into about 800 frames combined in different configurations to create each show’s giant winter holiday scenes.

The Magic of Lights is produced in partnership between Live Nation and FunGuys Events. In Long Island, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is a co-producer and the event is presented by New York Community Bank.

Jones Beach State Park, 895 Bay Parkway Jones Beach, NY. To book, go to https://magicoflights.com/events/jonesbeach/

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Finger Lakes Festival of Lights Underway

Finger Lakes Festival of Lights, a new, world-class, attraction featuring thousands of dazzling lights, is now open every evening through December.

Finger Lakes Festival of Lights, a new, world-class, attraction featuring thousands of dazzling lights, is now open every evening through December. More than 1,000 illuminated silk, porcelain and steel larger-than-life Chinese lanterns draw visitors through a magical path of discovery with each turn providing beautiful and unexpected moments of excitement and awe.

Seneca Lake was carefully selected for this incredible show because of its natural, outdoor setting known for its unparalleled vistas, crystal clear water and majestic trees and foliage. The show brings this scenery to life after dark, creating an experience that celebrates and enhances the natural world at night through artistic fantasy and illumination.

Produced by American Lantern Festivals Inc., the Finger Lakes Festival of Lights illustrates the story of a brother and sister who visit their grandfather in the Finger Lakes. Grandpa spins tall tales and stories about Seneca Lake.

The Finger Lakes Festival of Lights is a one-mile, self-guided walk through the woods, on a highly manicured path that’s accessible for people of all ages and abilities. The Festival is located behind Grist Iron Brewing in Burdett. The experience is open seven days a week, opening at 7PM with last entry at 9:30PM. (Grist Iron Brewing Company, 4880 NYS Route 414, Burdett, NY 14818, 929-434-1342, http://gristironbrewing.com/)

All tickets are single use general admission and allow entrance to the festival anytime after opening date.

Tickets start at $19.95 if purchased in advance online; the cost at the door is $30; children four and under enter free. Information and tickets are online, https://fingerlakeslights.com/

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Palm Beach Zoo Lights is ‘Wild’ Holiday Celebration

Zoo Lights presented by FPL SolarNow, illuminates Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society with more than one-million eco-friendly LED lights this holiday season.

WEST PALM BEACH – Zoo Lights presented by FPL SolarNow, illuminates Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society with more than one-million eco-friendly LED lights this holiday season. Starting November 27, the Zoo is open after regular hours on select nights from 6- 9 PM for a WILD holiday celebration featuring family fun, Santa, decadent treats, music and holiday charm.

“We can all use some holiday magic to shine through this season,” said Margo McKnight, president and CEO of Palm Beach Zoo. “The premiere of Zoo Lights last year was a huge holiday hit with our community. This year it is even more important to offer visitors a safe celebration where families can be outside in nature, enjoy great weather and embrace the spirit of the holidays.”

Zoo Lights visitors can expect to have a safe, socially distanced and enjoyable experience including photos with Santa, a DJ playing holiday tunes, sweet treats and more including:

• An evening stroll through the Zoo surrounded by one-million holiday lights and lighted displays.
• A unique theme for each area of the Zoo. New for 2020, the Asia section will dazzle in golden hues as lighted animals sparkle, adding more square footage to the vast event.
• The Florida Wetlands section features traditional holiday cheer and Santa’s workshop. Families can have their portraits made with Santa, and children can share their holiday wishes through December 23.
• The Fountain Plaza transforms into a North Pole dance floor where a DJ will spin family-friendly holiday hits each evening.
• While the jaguars sleep, the Mayan Plaza shines with blue lights and dripping icicles.
• The Tropics Cafe features festive holiday fare, and food stations around the Zoo will offer seasonal treats, beverages and cocktails, as well as a s’mores fire pit for some sticky hands-on fun.
• The gift shop will offer lighted merchandise sure to be your children’s favorite.

For the second consecutive year, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is sponsoring Zoo Lights with its FPL SolarNow program. “It’s fitting for Florida Power & Light Company to illuminate the holiday season in this special way, with energy-efficient LED lights that brightens the Zoo’s pathways and gives families a safe place to celebrate,” said Matt Valle, vice president, FPL Development at NextEra Energy, Inc. and Zoo board member. “Having the ability to bring your family to a world-class destination that represents conservation is a benefit that many parents, such as myself, find invaluable now more than ever.”

Tickets for Zoo Lights are $14.95 for adults and $12.95 for children. Palm Beach Zoo Annual Members receive special pricing. Pre-sale tickets are available at www.palmbeachzoo.org/zoolights

This year, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is the official non-profit community partner of Sandi and the City of West Palm Beach Holidays in Paradise annual downtown campaign. In addition to taking part in Zoo Lights, plan on visiting Sandi and her flamingo friend Hope as Sandi Brings Hope to West Palm Beach. Learn more at wpb.org/events 

For more than 50 years, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society has provided visitors with up-close and personal animal encounters that connect people to wildlife. Palm Beach Zoo guests explore a WILD ecosystem thriving on 23 lush, tropical acres while discovering hundreds of exotic animals. Visitors enjoy interactive animal experiences, nature and water play, and a lakeside cafe. Palm Beach Zoo participates in AZA Species Survival Plan® programs, ensuring healthy animal populations for rare and endangered species. The impact of a visit to Palm Beach Zoo extends beyond the gates, inspiring people to take action and save wildlife in wild places. For more information, visit www.palmbeachzoo.org.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is a steadfast partner of the Zoo and supports the nonprofit organization through the years including the installation of the SolarNow canopy in the Zoo’s parking lot. The solar canopy is a symbol of sustainability representing FPL’s larger universal solar energy centers in remote geographic locations, just as the animal ambassadors in the Zoo represent their species in the wild.

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Best Holiday Illuminations in New Jersey

41st Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tour, taking place Dec. 6, 13 & 27, displays America’s largest collection of historic Victorian structures dressed in holiday finery. The self-guided tours will feature at least a dozen homes, inns, hotels and churches each evening.

TRENTON, N.J. – The Garden State will sparkle with candlelight tours, glittery floating Christmas trees, finely festooned Victorian homes, and historic lighthouses decked with Yuletide greenery.  Across New Jersey’s neighborhoods, townships and seaside retreats, December is celebrated with tradition and 21st century twists. Check the list of festive offerings at www.visitnj.org.

Here is a look at some of the highlights of the season.

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse (Dec. 5, 5-7 p.m.) in Wildwood invites visitors to its annual Norman Rockwell-like Christmas tree lighting with Santa, music, refreshments and free admission.  The working lighthouse and museum is open to the public for guided and self-guided tours that give a glimpse of lighthouse keeping life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. www.visitnj.org/nj-events/hereford-inlet-lighthouse-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony

41st Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tour (Saturdays. Dec. 6, 13 & 27, 5:30 – 8:30p.m.), displays America’s largest collection of historic Victorian structures dressed in holiday finery.  The self-guided tours will feature at least a dozen homes, inns, hotels and churches each evening, all decorated with Yuletide flair.  Carolers and strolling musicians, Victorian festooned trees and garlands, and welcoming hospitality centers with warm beverages and home-baked goodies enhance the merriment and good cheer. Ticket prices include admission to the historic Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May’s only Victorian house museum, and “An Old-fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years” exhibit at Carriage House Gallery.  Plus, continuous shuttle service on heated trolleys. www.capemaymac.org/candlelighthousetours.html

Historic Smithville magically floats more than 120 lighted Christmas trees on Lake Meone (Nov. 28-Jan 1) the moment darkness falls.  The trees are constructed from more than 50,000 Christmas lights that are orchestrated with music.  The glittering trees reflect the water’s surface and appear to dance and chase each other across the lake.  Each store in Historic Smithville is outlined in white twinkle lights that inspire a visit to the welcoming winter wonderland setting of unique shops and enjoyable eateries. www.colonialinnsmithville.com/blog/december-in-smithville

Holiday Candlelight Tour of Rockingham Historic Site at Kingston (Dec. 14, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.), is a uniquely themed tour of George Washington’s final Revolutionary War headquarters and the small farmhouse that is preserved and interpreted as the temporary residence of George and Martha Washington. The candlelight tour will display 18th-century Christmas traditions and celebrate New Jersey’s 350th Anniversary. Holiday tour guests will learn about different aspects of New Jersey’s history as they pass from room to room, led and informed by the period-dressed Live Historians Club of Montgomery Township High School.  Period music will be presented by Practitioners of Musick, light refreshments will be available and the museum store open. Advance tour reservations are required, suggested admission donation is $5 and must be made by calling 609-683-7132 through Nov. 23 or 609-683-7136 after Nov. 23. www.visitnj.org/nj-events/holiday-candlelight-ours#sthash.XsceKLpO.dpuf

Storybook Land’s Christmas Fantasy with Lights (Nov. 28 – Dec. 30), has been a South Jersey Tradition for more than 25 years.  Santa Claus will appear in his chimney promptly at 5 p.m. daily and wave his magic wand to light the park with over one million lights.  All of Storybook Land rides, attractions and snack bars will be open.  Santa will be in his house and light the park each evening through Dec. 23. www.visitnj.org/nj-events/christmas-fantasy-lights#sthash.UAj6GDGN.dpuf

At 36 feet, Cranbury claims New Jersey’s largest Christmas tree with 46,000 lights – more than the Rockefeller Center tree in New York City!  Beginning Nov. 28, the entire holiday display of 120,000 lights will be choreographed with 19 songs – four new ones this year, and dance to the music for 70 minutes.  New Jersey’s Number One Christmas Display for Charity will light up Cranbury for those in need and 100 percent of all donations made given to the Local Food Bank. A way of giving back to community, one New Jersey family prepares and pays for the annual free holiday display and asks visitors to donate what might have been spent on a family night at the movies – all for a good cause. www.cranburychristmaslights.com.

 

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Holiday Lights Spectacular Returns to Jones Beach State Park, Long Island

The Holiday Lights Spectacular returns to Jones Beach, Long Island, Nov. 20 through Jan. 4.

The drive-through Holiday Lights Spectacular presented by the NYCB Family of Banks will return to the West End of Jones Beach in November, bringing back a Long Island holiday tradition last held in the park in 2007. Partnering with entertainment giant Live Nation, the Holiday Lights Spectacular is a 2.5-mile drive offering visitors the opportunity to view more than 150 animated and synchronized light displays that will create a colorful and marvelous holiday experience.

The Holiday Lights Spectacular will begin on Thursday, November 20 and run through Sunday, January 4. Visitors can enjoy the display each day from dusk until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

This year the Holiday Lights Spectacular will feature the inaugural Holiday Village. The Holiday Village will feature pictures with Santa, holiday refreshments, holiday music, local school choir performances, and a Hay Maze that will provide a magical journey through the sparkling lights in the Holiday Village.

Admission for the Holiday Lights Spectacular is $20 per vehicle and $25 on weekends. Every Tuesday, “2 for Tuesdays” will offer visitors the opportunity to drive through the Holiday Lights Spectacular a second time for free.

For more information click here.

“State Parks is thrilled to welcome back the Holiday Lights Spectacular to Jones Beach State Park,” State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said. “The Holiday Lights Spectacular complements Governor Cuomo’s comprehensive plan to revitalize Jones Beach, which includes adding more diverse recreational opportunities, attracting more visitors in the off-season and reinvigorating underutilized park areas. Thank you Live Nation for being such a terrific partner in helping bring back this wonderful tradition.”

Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo announced the $65 million Jones Beach Revitalization Plan to expand recreational opportunities, restore historic and aesthetic grandeur, strengthen storm resiliency, and streamline park entry, all of which will improve economic development and increase visitation to the park.

 

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Busch Gardens Williamsburg Hosts Christmas Town for Holidays

Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration is an all-new thematic area at the Williamsburg, Virginia themepark, that pays homage to a simpler time when life seemed less hectic.

Holiday Hills is the latest creation at Busch Gardens’ annual Christmas event, Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration,  and celebrates mid-20^th-century Christmas traditions complete with tin toys, miles of garland and painted Christmas lights.

Transforming the 100-acre park into a Christmas wonderland takes many people and many hours. Holiday Hills alone requires a team of nearly 100 people to create. Installers hang more than one million Christmas lights and span the area with more garland than some towns hang on Main Street. Holiday Hills is in the park’s Festa Italia area. It expands the park’s footprint and adds additional ride and dining opportunities along with the over-the-top thematic elements that have become a Christmas Town tradition.

Vice President of Entertainment Scott Gasparich said the inspiration behind the new area comes from nostalgic Americana Christmas traditions.

“There is nothing stronger than families sharing, caring and having fun together during the holidays. This theme is celebrated in Holiday Hills,” Gasparich said of his thought process behind the new area.

“Holiday Hills heralds back to simpler times, but also incorporates larger-than-life themes, colors, shapes and materials. The contrast of simple and bold provides a perfect theme that complements the rest of the park, but has the visual power to stand on its own.”

Christmas Town continues on select days, through December 31, 2012. For more information, including an operating schedule, visit: www.ChristmasTown.com.

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