photo courtesy of Brookfield Zoo
28th Annual Holiday Magic Festival Lights Up Brookfield Zoo
Spreading Holiday Cheer to People and Animals Alike
Brookfield, IL—This December, bundle up and get in the holiday spirit at the Chicago Zoological Society’s 28th annual Holiday Magic, presented by ComEd, at Brookfield Zoo. During the festive event, guests can enjoy the one million lights illuminating the zoo’s walkways from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, December 5-6, 12-13, and 19-20 and Saturday to Thursday, December 26-31.
This year’s Holiday Magic will feature new elements including the Wild Lights Spectacular light show at Roosevelt Fountain and an indoor 41-foot by 25-foot model railroad candyland-theme display that can simultaneously run up to 13 trains. The festival will also include professional ice-carving demonstrations, the Great Chicago Kiddie Express train ride, live musical and dance performances, celebrity storytellers, magicians, special Zoo Chats with keepers, a chance to see some favorite animals, visits with Santa Claus and costumed characters, and much more! For a complete schedule of events and up-to-date information on entertainment, activities, and animal exhibits that will be open on specific nights, go online to www.CZS.org. Guests will also receive a schedule of events when they arrive.
A perfect and unique way for loved ones to share fond memories during the holiday season, Holiday Magic is one of the brightest and most decorative events in the area and will kick off with an opening ceremony on Saturday, December 5, at 6:00 p.m. The ceremony will spark holiday cheer when the lights that adorn the corporate sponsored trees surrounding Roosevelt Fountain, are switched on for the Wild Lights Spectacular light show. With 50 trees decorated in LED lights, the new choreographed show will take place every hour on the half hour between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. each night. Families can also enjoy the hundreds of community trees¾decorated with hand-crafted ornaments¾on the zoo’s malls.
To go along with the magical-themed festival, guests can watch as 400-pound blocks of ice are transformed into beautiful works of frozen art by professional ice sculptors, courtesy of Lang Ice. Sculptors will be located at the Nature Stage at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m. In addition, professional magicians Matt Scherer and Terry Murphy will captivate zoogoers of all ages with their mystifying moves at the Bison Pavilion and Safari Grill.
Guests can warm up in Brookfield Zoo’s heated Holly Jolly Theater, located in the Swan Pavilion, for storytelling by local celebrities, as well as other live entertainment featuring dance troupes, choirs, and musicians.
A winter celebration like Holiday Magic would not be complete without Santa Claus and some good old-fashioned caroling. In Candy Cane Corner, located just east of the Formal Pool, kids can share their holiday wish lists with Santa and Mrs. Claus (through December 20). Inside Candy Cane Corner, guests can also view Holly-Days Village—large window displays featuring Old World Village, Gumdrop Village, and North Pole Village settings, complete with more than 70 miniature buildings, trees, people, a train, cobblestone sidewalks, and more.
The Canterbury Carollers, a Victorian ensemble who will perform a glorious arrangement of traditional carols, will have guests going exhibit to exhibit as they spread holiday cheer during nightly “Singing to the Animals.” Serenading takes place with llamas and reindeer at 5:30 p.m., tigers at 6:30 p.m., and camels at 7:30 p.m. Guests are invited to a special videotaping of “Singing to the Dolphins” on Saturday, December 12, at 6:00 p.m. in front of the Dolphin Arena. The video will be sent to Minneapolis Zoo to spread holiday cheer to Brookfield Zoo’s dolphins and keepers, where they are temporarily residing while the Seven Seas exhibit is being renovated.
Kids of all ages can ring in the New Year at a special Zoo Year’s Eve celebration on December 31. At 6:00 p.m. Radio Disney’s Road Crew will crank up the festivities with music, games, and prizes in the Holly Jolly Theater and lead an early countdown at 8:00 p.m. In addition, there will be an early countdown in Hamill Family Play Zoo geared toward families with young children ages 6 and under. Prior to the countdown, kids can make their own noisemaker and join in the Play Zoo parade at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
During this year’s event, many animal exhibits will be open, including Australia House, Baboon Island, Children’s Zoo (free admission), Hamill Family Play Zoo (free admission), The Fragile Desert, big cats walkway, The Living Coast, The Swamp, and Tropic World (closed on select nights). Guests will also have the opportunity to have their photos taken with some of the animals from Children’s Zoo, including Heidi, one of the zoo’s reindeers.
Those wanting to do some holiday shopping can visit any of the zoo’s gift shops for a wide selection of unique items for those hard-to-shop-for loved ones on their list. In addition, restaurants and food stands will be open for those who work up an appetite or desire holiday treats such as cookies, hot chocolate, hot cider, cappuccino, and soup.
During Holiday Magic, guests should park in Brookfield Zoo’s main parking lot (First Avenue and 31st Street). Activities are free (with the exception of rides and photo opportunity with animals) with paid admission of $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 65 and older. Children 2 and under are free. Car parking is $8; bus parking is $10.75.
Holiday Magic is sponsored by ComEd and American Airlines. For more information about Holiday Magic, call Brookfield Zoo at (708) 688-8000.
Celebrating its 75th year, the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago
published by Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.