The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is hitting a nearly decade-long stride as its PNC Festival of Lights was anointed the champion of the national zoo light shows for the seventh consecutive year, according to a readers' vote tallied by USA Today. Earning the accolade yet again, the annual event dazzled its way to pole position in the publication's "10 Best Zoo Lights" contest.
This year's festivities mark the 42nd occasion that the Cincinnati landmark has brightened winter nights with its eclectic light displays, ringing in the festive cheer with an exuberant five million LED lights—a record for the venue—and 33 added animal lanterns that illuminate the expanded zoo grounds inclusive of the new Elephant Trek, as the director Thane Maynard described, as per WLWT, "This is the 42nd year that we’ve hosted one of Cincinnati’s favorite holiday traditions, and I think it gets better every year."
The Cincinnati Zoo outshined several other luminescent contenders, with formidable displays by the Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Toledo Zoo's Lights Before Christmas, following closely behind in the rankings, detailed by Local12. Revelers to the Cincinnati spectacle can expect more than just an overwhelming sea of twinkling LEDs for their senses to feast on. The zoo's entertainment lineup features the North Polar Express Train, an array of holiday treats, and face time with Santa Claus.
The PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo is a holiday favorite known for its dazzling LED displays and celebration of cherished traditions. Running through January 5, it draws visitors from near and far. Earlier this year, the zoo was named the nation’s top botanical garden by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, showcasing its excellence.
