ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida Zoo is giving visitors a chance to walk into the wild – at night – in a new festival kicking off for the holiday season.

What You Need To Know

  • Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild! is open through January 14, 2024 on select nights

  • There are 30 larger-than-life illuminated lantern displays

  • This year's exhibit takes visitors to the prehistoric era with plenty of dinosaurs on display

  • Tickets begin at $22 for adults, with special family ticket packages available

Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild! Features more than 30 larger-than-life illuminated displays along a ¾ mile trail.

WATCH: View the story in the video player above to get a behind-the-scenes look at this year’s Asian Lantern Festival event at Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

For event coordinator Lucy Feng, there is a special meaning to creating such an event, being able to share a piece of her culture with Central Florida.

“For me, when I was young I always went to lantern festivals with my family,” Feng said, who grew up in a region in China where the first lantern festivals originated thousands of years ago.

Today’s lantern festival mixes a blend of modern touches and historic craftsmanship.

Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild! is a separate ticketed evening event at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, featuring large displays of the prehistoric era.

“Families can walk through, and children might ask what kind of animal is this, what kind of plant is that, so parents and families can explain,” Feng said.

Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild! is happening on select nights now through January 14, 2024. Tickets begin at $22 for adults with special deals for families.

For complete details on the event, visit CentralFloridaZoo.org/lanterns/