Lions and tigers and bears, at night! The San Francisco Zoo is once again bringing back ZooLights to illuminate San Francisco's most beloved wild animals. The holiday-themed event will feature Santa Claus, actual live reindeer, Christmas carolers, and cozy snacks and beverages. Plus, the 100-acre zoo will be set aglow with thousands of spectacular holiday lights - think snowflakes projected onto the pathways and a rainbow of up-lighting throughout the zoo's many trees.
This coming weekend (December 16 through the 18th) marks the official opening of ZooLights 2016. To make the occasion, the San Francisco Zoo is partnering with PLAE Shoes to offer a complimentary pair of kids' shoes to the first 1,000 children with paid admission while sizes and supplies last. Even better, PLAE will match those thousand kids' shoes with pairs of footwear to kids in need.
ZooLights 2016 runs from 5 - 8pm December 16th through 30th, and is closed (along with the Zoo) on December 24th and 25th. Also, Santa bounces back to his digs in the North Pole after his final December 23rd appearance at the zoo. The reindeers, however, will stick around until December 31st.
For their part, the Oakland Zoo is hosting their own ZooLights. This year's well-lit holiday extravaganza features a musical light show illuminating the Zoo’s African Veldt. Also closed December 24h and 25th, Oakland's ZooLights runs from 5:30 - 9:30 pm though January 1st, 2017. Don't miss the star-lit pathways guiding visitors through a candy cane lane towards Santa himself, and a jolly-packed Outback Adventure Train decked out for the special season. While ZooLights is an especially family-friendly event, those without kids might want to visit on December 17th, when the Oakland Zoo is for adults (and animals) only.
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