Zoolights in Review

The+Narrows+Bridge+Light+Display

Griffin Bakken

The Narrows Bridge Light Display

Griffin Bakken, Reporter

Winter is a wonderful time of year to spend time with close friends and loved ones. There are so many fun activities from ice skating to skiing. One of the most popular activities for people around the Gig Harbor area is a trip to the local Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium too see the light show, Zoolights. Zoolights is a winter event where the zoo transforms itself into a Christmas light extravaganza from November 24th to January 7th.

Zoolights is also a frequent date destination for high school students. Senior Carl Wiberg said, “It’s a really enjoyable date idea, and a fun time for everyone.” Wiberg also said, “Seeing the zoo lit up was really special.”

The zoo is also a great place to bring family. Ben Goins said, “Zoolights was full of families, and small children even seemed to really enjoy the show.” The bright and colorful display lets children’s imagination run wild on images of animals, Santa and intricate winter displays.

A very popular attraction is the aquarium. Olivia Lynch said, “The aquarium was really interesting to see at night,” Like Olivia many people love the aquarium. It’s truly a special sight to see a massive shark swim out of the dark waters for everyone to see.

Another popular attraction are the land animals themselves. People lineup to see the tigers, although there is a good chance they’re taking a snooze. If you’re lucky you might get a glimpse of an elephant roaming its habitat.

The zoo also offers food for its guests. They offer items like pretzels, hotdogs, ice cream, and since it’s the holidays a classic, hot chocolate. While some of the food is rather tasty some students would complain the food is too pricey. Wiberg said, “I enjoyed some hot chocolate because it was freezing outside, however the hot chocolate didn’t feel worth it for the price they were selling it at.” So unless you’re planning on eating beforehand, most people would recommend keeping some extra cash.

While Zoolights ultimately gets praise, it’s not perfect. For example, many complain about the parking. Lynch said, “Parking was tight throughout the whole complex. Parking near the zoo is not guaranteed.”

Other people complained about the slowness of the event. Sophomore Chase Coalson said, “While I did have a good time the lights can get slow and repetitive at times.” A lot of people have agreed with this statement due to the fact that most of the event is simply walking around and looking at lights, which for many can get very tiring. Coalson also mentioned, “When I visited the zoo, the aquarium was closed. This was a real disappointment because I was looking forward to seeing the aquarium.” While the aquarium is popular it is often closed because the zoo frequently rents out the facilities to private parties during this time of year. Which to some ruins the experience.

Zoolights is a wonderful experience for all; it brings families closer together and can create the perfect romantic date spot. Zoolights is the place for fun and holiday spirit. So why not give it a shot?