Bigger, better, brighter: Wild Lights returns to Louisville Zoo with 40 new light displays

You may have visited the Louisville Zoo's Wild Lights exhibit before, but you haven't seen anything like this.

One of the largest lantern festivals in the country, "Wild Lights: Around the World" launches March 10 with almost an entirely new lineup of lanterns, including 40 lanterns making their United States debut.

"This one is bigger, better and brighter. They really upped the game on this year's Wild Lights," said Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney. "They look gorgeous. I'm trying to call them something other than lanterns — they're sculptures made in the traditional Chinese lantern art form, and in the case of the wildebeest, zebra and spring buck diorama, they're nearly life-size."

The 1.4-mile excursion through the zoo will highlight famous landmarks, flora and fauna from around the world. Each of the hand-crafted art displays is made from silk-covered metal frames lit with LED lightbulbs — a lot of them. This year's Wild Lights features more than 50,000 LED lightbulbs, 18 interactive displays, eight animated lanterns, and 10 light-changing pieces.

Highlights include a walk-through cobra corridor, a giant blue morpho butterfly and a nine-foot shark-themed photo opportunity. There are even lantern versions of iconic sites like the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Chinese Hall of Supreme Harmony.

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"There's quite a few displays that people have never seen," Maloney said. "It looks almost completely different than last year. I would say to come early in the event because it runs until May but the earlier you do it in the season, the better the ticket price."

Wild Lights comes to the Louisville Zoo, 1100 Trevilian Way, as part of a partnership with Steward Promotions and Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc. The event also includes live cultural performances and unique food and drink specials throughout the 46-night immersive experience.

Here's what else to know about the Wild Lights exhibit at the Louisville Zoo.

When is the Louisville Zoo's Wild Lights exhibit?

The festival is a rain-or-shine event and will be held 6:30 –10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday nights from March 10 to May 21. It will be held nightly from March 30 to April 9.

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How much are Louisville Zoo Wild Lights tickets?

Early Bird tickets for March 10-31 are $20 for general admission or $17 for zoo members. Children under two years old are free, and Family Four Pack tickets are $65 for general admission or $55 for members. From April 1 to May 21, tickets are $22 for general admission and $19 for zoo members. Family Four packs will be $75 or $65 for members.

Regular daytime Zoo admission tickets and Wild Lights tickets must be purchased separately. Parking for this event is $7 and can be purchased in advance online during your purchase or at the Zoo admission windows.

What can I eat and drink at Wild Lights?

The Louisville Zoo will offer specialty dishes created for the event. Drinks include an Asian pear sangria and a five-spice Kentucky mule. Snacks include spring rolls, wonton cinnamon crisps and doughnuts. The Dragon Shack, located near the giraffe barn close to the start of the Wild Lights route, will sell snacks like popcorn, jumbo pretzels, beer, water, soft drinks and cocktails.

"Wild Lights: Around the World" is sponsored by Bob Ray Company, LG&E and KU Foundation, Norton Children’s and Neil and Jane MacDonald Family. For more information, visit louisvillezoo.org.

Reach food reporter Dahlia Ghabour at dghabour@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Wild Lights: Around the World returns to Louisville Zoo: tickets, date