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CLEVELAND (WJW) — The popular Asian Lantern Festival is returning to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on July 8.

“In the special event’s third year, Asian Lantern Festival returns bigger than ever with more than 70 never-before-seen lantern displays, new acrobatic performances on the Fifth Third Bank Stage, interactive experiences and culturally-inspired cuisine,” the zoo said in a press release.

Asian Lantern Festival
Courtesy of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

A limited number of tickets will be made available each night of the festival to allow for social distancing, and advance reservations are strongly recommended. 

Other safety measures will also be put into place to help protect against COVID-19, including one-way directional flow, handwashing stations and frequent sanitation.

Facial coverings are encouraged but not required. 

  • Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
  • Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

The festival will feature a 200-foot-long phoenix that sprawls across Waterfowl Lake, live acrobatic performances, and a variety of Asian food. Some of the zoo’s regular concessions will also be available. 
 
The new Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors exhibition is also included in the purchase of each Asian Lantern Festival ticket. As part of the festival, guests can experience nearly two dozen gigantic dinosaurs as they come to life at night along Waterfowl Lake.

Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

The limited time, after-hours event will run Wednesday through Sunday evenings 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. July 8 through August 23.

Advance tickets are on sale now at FutureForWildlife.org/lanterns.