As the sun sets and the Oakland Zoo’s animal residents move indoors, the outdoor walkways and hills of the zoo awake into a winter wonderland known as Glowfari. Thousands of lights and hundreds of animal lanterns greet visitors while brightening up the longest Bay Area winter nights.
The lantern festival replaced Zoolights, a feature at the Oakland Zoo for many years.
As the Zoolights structures became outdated and needed to be replaced, zoo management decided to create a family-friendly light event that reinforced its commitment to educating the public about the need to conserve all animals.
Visitors take in bayou animals at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE“We wanted to keep putting on a winter event but knew we had to make some changes,” explained Isabella Linares, marketing manager for the Oakland Zoo. “Though the two events are very different, it has become a tradition for families to attend, just like Zoolights, and we hear guests say they’ve come every year since we switched to this new format.”
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A family poses for a photo in front of a lit-up pair of wings at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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A family looks at large illuminated flowers at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Visitors of all ages enjoy walking on a lit-up floor display at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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A family poses between giant swans at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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People wait in line for the gondola between large illuminated flowers at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATENow in its fourth year entertaining visitors of all ages, Glowfari is often sold out weeks in advance. On a recent Saturday night, families and couples strolled through the light displays, ooh-ing and ah-ing over the hundreds of larger-than-life animal lanterns occupying the zoo’s grounds. According to Linares, each lantern is crafted and painted by hand and contains hundreds to thousands of individual LED lights. Iron wires help weld the animals into shape. Trained artisans unpack and assemble the unique pieces; the zoo starts setting up the animal lanterns in October for its opening in late November.
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Visitors walk through an octopus lantern, one of the deep ocean sea creatures at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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A young visitor inspects a deep ocean sea creature at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Visitors walk by giants bear lanterns at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Lit-up flowers and butterflies line a walkway at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEThis year’s experience includes the forests of North America, with mountain lions, wolves and buffalo. The deep ocean display features sea creatures and lanterns of animals never seen by most humans. Nearby is a stroll through the bayou’s swamps, which features an alligator that visitors can walk through. A short gondola ride away will also take you to the Arctic, where puffins and polar bear animal lanterns along the California Trail light the way.
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Visitor take in alligator lanterns at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Visitors walk through an alligator lantern at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the OOakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Visitors walk through an exhibit at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Visitors walk through lights at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Visitors walk through deep ocean sea creatures at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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“People fall in love seeing these larger-than-life animals, and they can learn something as they’re having fun,” Linares said. “This event sticks very true to the zoo’s mission.”
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Visitors walk through deep ocean sea creatures at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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Visitors sit in front of a squid lantern, one of the Deep Ocean sea creatures at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Visitors enjoy some of the deep ocean sea creatures at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
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A child gets up close to an animal lantern at Glowfari at the Oakland Zoo in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
A mountain lion lantern at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Trees and a giant bear lantern at Glowfari, an animal lantern festival at the Oakland Zoo, in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2023.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEGlowfari will continue to brighten the long Bay Area nights until Jan. 28, 2024, from 5 to 9 in the evening, except for Mondays and Tuesdays starting Jan. 8.
