Orlando families have a glowing new reason to plan a night out together. The Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild returns to the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford for its seventh year, lighting up select nights from November 13, 2026, through January 17, 2027.
Guests stroll a three-quarter-mile path filled with all-new, handcrafted lantern scenes glowing with thousands of LED lights. This year’s journey moves from North American wildlife to dazzling celestial displays celebrating the wonders of space, and on to traditional Chinese creatures from folklore. The festival, created in partnership with Tianyu Arts & Culture, is the only event in Central Florida dedicated to the art and beauty of traditional Asian lantern festivals, and it adds seasonal food and drinks, live music and artisan crafts along the way.
Tickets are sold online only, in advance, for timed entry at 6, 7 or 8 p.m., and everyone can stay until the 10 p.m. closing, with last entry at 9:15 p.m. The presale runs through October 31 with the lowest prices of the season, and Family 4-Packs add extra savings for groups. Special moments include Sensory Nights on December 1 and January 12, Santa visits December 20-23, and a family-friendly New Year’s Eve countdown on December 31 at 7 and 8 p.m. The Zoo is at 3755 W. Seminole Blvd. in Sanford.
Photo: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
