Zoolights and its 700,000 bulbs will not be dimmed by the pandemic
Tacoma’s hometown holiday lights extravaganza will not be dimmed by a pandemic.
Zoolights opens Friday with more than 700,000 colorful LED lights and a new tribute to the Seattle Kraken hockey club.
“It made perfect sense to honor Seattle’s newest team,” said Scott Clarke, operations manager at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. “We’ve been in the shop playing with a few designs to get it just right, and we can’t wait for the community to see the new addition to Zoolights.”
The event is in its 33rd year and will have some changes due to COVID-19.
This year face coverings are required for everyone 5 and up, and there will be one-way paths so visitors can socially distance. All indoor areas are closed, including both aquariums, carousel and goat area. Tickets range from $11 to $14 and must be bought in advance to limit the number of people inside.
Zoo officials said they hope the brilliant displays will bring comfort during tough times.
Crews have been preparing for Zoolights since October when they began zip-tying lights to dozens of trees, shrubs, cacti and bamboo forests.
All the favorites will be back, like the green-and-purple Flame Tree, 23-foot Mount Rainier in all her glory and two Narrows bridges. The Tunnel of Lights extends 117 feet this year, and visitors are encouraged to find the elusive Sasquatch.
Of course, the Pacific octopus will shine from atop the old North Pacific Aquarium, stretching across 100 feet.
Technicians say that’s the most challenging display, taking five people a full day to set up.
The festival runs 5-9 p.m. nightly through Jan. 3, except for two closures Dec. 24-25. Tickets can be bought at pdza.org/zoolights.
By the Numbers
5: Wingspan in feet of the swooping eagles
6: How many people it takes to lift the roaring tiger head
32: Number of years the Flame Tree has been around
100: Width in feet of the giant Pacific octopus
24,000: How many lights are on the octopus
30,030: How many lights are on the Flame Tree
700,000: Number of lights strung up
This story was originally published November 26, 2020 at 5:05 AM.
