The Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights
Cincinnati celebrates Christmas in many ways and one of them is the Festival of Lights, a delightful tradition in which the Cincinnati Zoo is covered with lights, a million and a half of them. Maybe a hundred thousand more, maybe a hundred thousand less. But, after the first million lights, who counts! There's something particularly charming about seeing the Christmas light show while walking amid the zoo animals. It may sound a little peculiar but it's something you have to experience to really appreciate.
We visited the Festival of Lights for the first time in some years and were clever enough to pick a bitter cold night to do it. We were most surprised to find that many other Cincinnatians had turned out for the Festival as well. It took a few minutes in the queue to get the car parked but there was no particular crowding after we went inside.
All of the Cincinnati Zoo animal houses are open so you could drift from one to the next and enjoy the light shows along the way. It's really quite a pleasant way to spend the evening and it runs from well before Christmas until a week after New Years Day.
Don't overlook the Cincinnati map as it is more than just a street map and can be quite entertaining.
The Entrance to the Festival of Lights
You are now entering the Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights. These people ahead of you are walking away from the hot chocolate booth. They will most certainly be back!
The Gazebo
This is a gazebo near the entrance to the Festival. Virtually every single plant, tree and structure is covered with Christmas lights.
The Giraffe
Many animals were displayed as light sculptures. The doors to the Animal Houses were open so you could also visit the real animals. On this night, it was so cold that my wife did not for a moment resist the idea of visiting the Insectarium.
King Neptune
Here is a close-up of King Neptune.
King Neptune and his Seahorses
Here are King Neptune and his seahorses. Christmas is celebrated a little differently underwater!
The Christmas Train Set
No Christmas is complete without a train set. Unfortunately, the train was moving too quickly for the camera to catch it. At that temperature, it was the only thing that was moving very quickly. The red blur in the center is the train flying past.
Flower Clock in Lights
Most flower clocks use living plants but that doesn't work well when the temperature is below zero. Here is a flower clock done in Christmas lights.
Lights Over the Lake
The trees around the lake around are festooned with lights and this is only a small portion of the entire display. The ducks do not seem to be at all affected by the lights, the crowds, or the cold night. Look closely and you'll see some electric swans in the background.
(If the truth be known, people rather enjoy the cold. Hot chocolate never tastes so good as when you drink it in sub-zero weather.)
The Candles
The feeling of Christmas is everywhere in the Festival. Perhaps the three candles are to symbolize the Three Wise Men.
The Corral
This is the corral surrounding the nativity display. There were animals outside but they were not at all perturbed by the cold.
The Manger
The riot of color in the Festival of Lights is tastefully subdued in the Nativity display.
There is another Nativity display like this that is also a Cincinnati tradition and you can see it at the Krohn Conservatory. (Tip: Parking is very much more difficult around the Conservatory.)
