CLEVELAND — One of the area's most popular events -- the Asian Lantern Festival -- has returned to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Advanced tickets for the event went on sale back in early June. This year's event, which will run through Aug. 21, will feature 1,000 illuminated lanterns that will light up the Zoo after dark, as well as some of its largest displays yet, including a 100-foot-long, four-story-tall palace, sprawling Chinese gardens along Waterfowl Lake and a half-dozen giant walk-through lanterns.
“Asian Lantern Festival has become a summer staple in Cleveland with guests returning year after year to experience the Zoo in a whole new way,” Cleveland Metroparks Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Manderfield said in a statement. “Thanks to the tremendous support of our partners we’re able to elevate the festival every year and we can’t wait to share our biggest and most complex displays yet.”
According to the zoo, the Asian Lantern Festival draws more than 150,000 guests each year. In addition to the lights, this year's event will feature live performances every hour on the Fifth Third Bank Stage, as well as a variety of culturally inspired cuisine including local Cleveland favorites at the MetroHealth Asian Food Market.
Walk-through hours for this year's event are from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, with a limited number of drive-through opportunities available on Wednesday nights. Meijer is serving as the title sponsor of this year's event.
“Meijer is excited to be partnering with Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for our second year in support of the Asian Lantern Festival event,” Meijer Senior Director of Community Partnerships and Giving Cathy Cooper said. “We hope to help guests immerse themselves within this awe-inspiring cultural experience this summer.”
Information on ticket pricing can be found on the Metroparks Zoo's website.