Publisher received complimentary tickets in order to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed herein are my own.
A couple of weeks ago I took my family to Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo to check out the Glow Wild Lantern Festival. I had missed this event last year so I was especially excited to go with my family. I took both of my daughters, ages 14 and 11 as well as my parents who are in their mid-70s. It was a bit cool when we went and it's getting even colder now at night so I'd recommend bundling everyone up since you'll be outside for a good 45 minutes or so, depending on the speed at which you walk and how long you linger at each display.
What's great about Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is that the layout is pretty much one big loop -- no matter which direction you walk, you will eventually end up right back where you started. So there's no need to worry about missing any of the lantern displays or veering off the path and getting lost. That said, there were a few stretches where it was a bit dark, so if you have really small kids or older family members as I did, I'd recommend bringing a flashlight or using your phone flashlight to light up some sections of the paved path.
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We all really enjoyed walking through the illuminated wonderland of animal and floral displays, stopping at each one to read the name and description. The festival showcases more than 50 large-scale illuminated displays, featuring hundreds of beautiful individual and interactive lanterns spanning the breadth and width of the zoo's 30 acres! Some even had movement which brought them to life even more. We all got a kick out of the Kangaroos with the babies moving up and down as if they were peeking out of their pouches. There's also an interactive children's area for the younger ones, located near the cafe and carousel. There was a large piano (think FAO Schwartz and the movie Big), light-up see saws and a mirrored tunnel of lights to walk through. My younger daughter and my mom spent some time exploring this area and I noticed there were lots of smaller kids enjoying it too, laughing and having a ton of fun. So there's certainly something for all ages!
About halfway through the walk, there is a breathtaking section of flower lanterns that lined the path and even dangled above your head! This was my absolute favorite part; my photo below doesn't even begin to capture the enormity of it nor the feeling of awe as you walk through. It's just something you need to experience for yourself! Oh - and the tunnel made of lights and fall leaves was amazing to walk through too... that one I'll leave as a surprise! Trust me, just go see it!
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My 11-year-old daughter who is an artist in her own right, really had an appreciation for all that went into creating the Glow Wild Lantern Festival. She asked me to share this: "It was a really cool experience. The lanterns were so creative and unique -- I have never seen anything quite like it! I thought the detail on each of the animals was great. The amount of work that must have gone into creating each display is just incredible."
DATES:
September 14 - December 2, 2023
Thursdays - Sundays
5:30PM - 9:30PM
TICKET INFO:
Timed tickets should be purchased online in advance and offered in half hour increments. A small number of tickets may be available at the door, depending upon Zoo capacity.
- Adult tickets (ages 12 +) are $22
- Children (11 and under) are $20.
- Children under three and adults over 75 are free.
Strollers and wheelchairs will be available to rent on a first come, first served basis.
***TICKET GIVEAWAY***
Macaroni KID Greater Danbury has a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky email newsletter subscriber!
Tickets are good for any Glow Wild Lantern Festival date/time through December 2, 2023.
ENTER HERE by Tuesday, October 31st!
One entry per person/email address. Winner must be a Macaroni Kid Greater Danbury email newsletter subscriber.
Winners will be notified by email and will have up to 24 hours to respond otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn.
ABBREVIATED RULES:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES RECEIVED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. DO NOT ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES IF YOU ARE NOT EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AS OF OCTOBER 20, 2023 AND A LEGAL RESIDENT OF AND CURRENTLY RESIDING IN ONE OF THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SEE FULL OFFICIAL RULES HERE.
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