Main image courtesy of Cincinnati USA. 

Now is the time to spread the holiday cheer! With Christmas and many other holidays approaching, it is a time of year that many people look forward to. Being able to spend the holidays with your family, decorating Christmas trees, baking cookies, and even giving and receiving gifts is something that many people love most about this time of year. 

We also can’t forget about the many marvelous light shows that take place over the course of the winter months. With families decorating their houses with multi-colored Christmas lights, and even blow up air balloons as your favorite Christmas characters, it is exciting to see them lining the streets to put you in the holiday spirit!

Speaking of holiday lights, we know an event that you and your family will most likely love to go to! If you’re in the Cincinnati area, consider checking out the Cincinnati Zoo’s PNC Festival of Lights that they host every single year. Even with the current COVID-19 pandemic going on, they are still open and determined to provide smiles and holiday cheer with millions of holiday lights that you can walk through.

If you’re interested, continue reading to learn more about the PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo:

• What is the PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo?
• What Activities Are There to Look Forward to?
• How Much Does it Cost and When Does it Start?
• A Breakdown of the More Specific Events
• What Are the COVID-19 Safety Precautions at This Event?
• Have Fun While Staying Safe!

What is the PNC Festival of Lights Event at the Cincinnati Zoo?

Get ready for loads of fun at an event the whole family will love!

Every year around late November to the beginning of January, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens hosts a light up event sponsored by PNC Bank where you can admire the beauty of over four million LED lights that brighten the entire zoo into a winter wonderland. Going on their 38th annual light up show, the PNC Festival of Lights is something that many people look forward to, and we know it’s something that your family would enjoy to spread the Christmas cheer. 

Even with 2020 looking as different and feeling as strange as it is, the zoo has decided that it is best to continue one with the usual holiday celebrations to have everyone be able to live in some normalcy for the remainder of the year. This is something that everyone in the Cincinnati area, and even outside in other neighboring Ohio areas can visit to make for a great date night, or family night out with the kids!

How Much Does it Cost and When Does it Start?

Make sure to prepare with a reservation that is required to get in!

We are sure that you’re excited about going to the PNC Festival of Lights event at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, but how much does it cost? Well, this year, particularly because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to make your reservations ahead of time starting from November 21st through January 3rd of 2021 from 1pm-9pm. Please keep in mind though that the zoo is closed on Thanksgiving day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day as well.

When it comes to the cost of the PNC Festival of Lights, depending on which day you get your tickets for an adult ranging from the ages 13-61, the price can be anywhere from $12 to $21.50. Children ages 2-12 range from $7 to $15.50, and even seniors that are 62 or older qualify for this price as well. Also, keep in mind that if you drive and wish to park in the zoo parking lot, it is an extra $10 as well. All of these sales are final and the Cincinnati Zoo asks that you don’t arrive any later than 8:30pm. If you want, you can also stop by the zoo during the day to see all of the animals and the stay for the Festival of Lights celebration as well!

What Activities Are There to Look Forward To?

There’s more to the event than just the magnificent lights!

If you decide to come to the PNC Festival of Lights Event at the Cincinnati Zoo, just know that there are a lot of fun activities to look forward to! Although the main event is looking at the four million LED lights that line the zoo, there are also lots of fun things that kids can partake in to create new memories this holiday season.

Visitors whenever they come to the Cincinnati Zoo for the PNC Festival of Lights can ride the North Polar Express train throughout the zoo, can gaze at the Wild Lights show on Swan Lake, and even eat lots of deliciously sweet goodies at the two S’Mores-N-More stands that are located throughout the zoo. Parents can also have their children take photos with Santa Claus to remember the fun time that they had as a family.

When it comes to what time everything starts, keep in mind that the festival runs from 1pm-9pm everyday, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day when they are closed. The North Polar Express train ride starts giving rides around 1:30, and Santa visits the festival around 4pm to take pictures and entertain with the kids. 

A Breakdown of the More Specific Events

Fun stuff for not only the kids, but the parents and singles as well!

When it comes to all of the fun events that will be going on at the PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, just keep in mind that there is more to do than just look at the millions of lights shining throughout the zoo. You can go to the zoo all day and look at the beautiful and amazing animals and then you can check out the light show and events afterwards! There is so much fun stuff for kids and parents to enjoy, along with the people that are going as a date night, or even if you’re just going out with friends. Check out what else is going on for you to enjoy at the PNC Festival of Lights!

Santa’s Village

If you’re familiar with where the picnic shelters are at the Cincinnati Zoo, then if you go there near The Grove, you can enter Santa’s Village, an area where you can meet Santa Claus himself! Everyday from 4pm on, you can take pictures with Santa’s through December 23rd, and you can even say hi to Mrs. Claus while you’re there! Santa's Village is also where the North Pole mailbox is located where children can drop off their letter to Santa Claus to be sent out to the North Pole where hopefully they will get the presents they ask for this year, depending on if they are on the naughty or nice list. You can also check out the Gingerbread House located here and count up all the mice that are inside as well!

2020 Scavenger Hunt

If you’re looking for something else super fun to partake in during the PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo, then you need to get involved with the 2020 scavenger hunt! With testing your knowledge with Christmas riddles, you can post your answers and even a picture on social media using the hashtag #cincyzoopic for a chance to be featured in zoo marketing material to get your name and face out there!

Roo Valley

For the first time ever, Roo Valley at the Cincinnati Zoo will be transformed into a winter wonderland with the use of lights, kangaroo lanterns, and so much more to light the way! As soon as you enter Roo Valley, you can experience an Australian-themed walkabout under lush trees where you can see kangaroos and even see a colony of little blue penguins swimming around. You can also visit Hops, a beer garden featuring craft beers from many local breweries around Cincinnati. 

African Penguin Pointe

Along with checking out Roo Valley, you can come to the newest exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, the African Penguin Pointe! The African Penguin Pointe exhibit is full of African penguins, an endangered species whose population has dropped by 50% over the last thirty years. If you want to see some beautiful penguins live and in action, then you need to check out this exhibit that is lit up by many more LED lights that you can enjoy as you watch these little guys waddle around! 

What Are the COVID-19 Safety Precautions For This Event?

Make sure you are prepared with all of your PPE essentials to keep you and your loved ones safe!

With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and the United States hitting its third wave of increased infections, it is important to stay healthy as you tour the PNC Festival of Lights event at the Cincinnati Zoo. They are enforcing that people pay for their tickets online ahead of time and make a reservation so there is less contact with handling money and credit cards and to offer a contactless paying method. 

It is also very essential to pack a mask, or multiple, with you to make sure that you have them for the areas where they are most needed. These areas include indoor spaces, lines for the North Pole Express, and even lines for food and drinks. This also goes for areas outside where it can be more difficult to enforce social distancing and more populated areas where people are more likely to be closer together. 

The Cincinnati Zoo also asks that you are aware of some of the one-way signage that is posted in certain areas to avoid high traffic. They also want you to keep in mind as well that many indoor animal exhibits will not be open and indoor restaurants and gift shops are closed for the time being. Also, even though it will disappoint many children, it is with full regret that we inform you as well about the playgrounds and other children’s play areas that are closed to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

Have Fun While Staying Safe!

Even with a global pandemic, we should be able to enjoy ourselves while taking the safety precautions necessary to stay safe!

2020 has been a huge bummer for many people, especially for kids. With lots of kids missing out on going to school and seeing their friends, not being able to play on the playground in the summer, or even staying inside instead of going trick or treating on Halloween, this year has been a huge disappointment. Although we understand that it is for our health and safety of not only ourselves, but the people around us as well, this year just hasn’t been the same.

While many people still may be weary about going to events in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we fully believe that with the proper health risks taken into consideration and following the safety guidelines of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, it is possible to bring the holiday spirit back to life through the PNC Festival of Lights event! Make sure to check it out anytime between November 21st through January 3rd to experience a light show like never before with a lot of other fun activities that you will thoroughly enjoy with your loved ones while staying safe!