Happy City News is already counting down to one of New York’s most beloved winter traditions: the Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights festival returns this year with its most expansive celebration yet.
For the first time ever, guests will enjoy nighttime access to the family-favorite Children’s Zoo, where donkeys, sheep, goats and other gentle farmyard animals await for up-close petting and feeding encounters. The celebration also opens late-night doors to three celebrated exhibits: World of Darkness, World of Reptiles and more animal habitats, moving the magic seamlessly from holiday festivities to wildlife.
Of course, all the cherished traditions are back: the self-guided Holiday Lights trail through the park, twinkling displays, festive interactives and wildlife education stations that make this event unlike anything else in the city. “We’re proud to now offer access to select exhibits during Holiday Lights, inviting guests to meaningfully engage in new ways with the animals at the heart of our zoo,” said Craig Piper, Interim Executive Vice President of Zoos & Aquarium and Director of the Bronx Zoo.
The festival, presented by Con Edison, runs on select dates from November 21, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Tickets are required and must be reserved in advance. It’s the perfect family plan to close out the year with wonder, lights and wildlife in the heart of the Bronx.
Photo: SnowFire via Wikimedia Commons
