Friday night, the Oakland Zoo kicked off the fourth year of its holiday signature event: Glowfari.
"It is an extravagant, larger-than-life light festival for families to enjoy," explained Adam Zuby, Events Manager for the Oakland Zoo.
Visitors can head to the zoo at night to see expanses of intricate lanterns and displays all over the zoo grounds. Zuby said this year features all new lanterns depicting animals in neon landscapes, from the bayou to the ocean to the forest.
Around 2,500 people attended Glowfari Friday night, Zuby said, which is the normal capacity for this program.
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Last year, Glowfari and the entire Oakland Zoo had to shut down for a month when a sinkhole developed on the zoo grounds. Once the zoo reopened, it extended Glowfari availability through February to account for the weeks missed during the closure.
"We’re prepared this year, a lot of our year leading up to this was making sure that situations like that are avoidable, but when it comes to nature and the elements you can’t always avoid everything," Zuby said.
If weather or other factors require Glowfari to cancel for a night, organizers say you'll automatically get an email notice and your money refunded.
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Hitesh Tanwani of Fremont went to Glowfari with his family Friday night, it was their first time attending.
"It's fantastic," Tanwani said. "It was quite a journey getting here, it took us an hour with the traffic, so we first got the kids fed and now we’re enjoying the lights."
This year Glowfari runs through January 28, 2024, but visitors should check the Oakland Zoo website for specific dates, hours, and featured events.
