PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Oregon Zoo will once again be illuminated in more than 1.5 million brightly colored lights for the annual holiday ZooLights event.
In 2022, the event will open Nov. 23 and will run through early January.
Every year, the zoo is decorated with holiday twinkling lights. Some wind around trees and fence posts, others create glowing murals on walls, and even more lights are used to create 3-D colorful animal sculptures scattered throughout the zoo grounds.
The zoo is once again offering guests the option to take in the spectacle on foot or in a vehicle. The zoo said there will be a dozen midweek evenings set aside for guests to drive through in their cars.
For the 2022 event, the Oregon Zoo will display a new installation: the central lawn will feature illuminated Oregon Coast wildlife, including harbor seals, sea lions, urchins, sea stars, crabs and sea otters.
The zoo notes that sea otters don’t live along the Oregon Coast, but conservationists hope they can one day return to their native habitat. Hunting drove them to near extinction over the last century.
On Nov. 18-19, the Oregon Zoo will bring back its popular BrewLights event, which is open to anyone 21 and older. Guests can sample nearly 100 different beers, hard seltzers and hard ciders while strolling around the decorative zoo grounds and enjoying live music.
The Oregon Zoo reminds guests that ZooLights and BrewLights are special events and are not included with regular daytime zoo admission. All guests, including members, must reserve their ZooLights tickets in advance on the Oregon Zoo website.
Ticket prices for the event start at $21 but vary depending on the date and time.