{"id":232734,"date":"2026-04-03T01:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T01:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/232734\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T01:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T01:38:16","slug":"illuminature-arrives-new-lantern-festival-coming-to-dallas-zoo-local-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/232734\/","title":{"rendered":"Illuminature Arrives: New Lantern Festival Coming To Dallas Zoo – Local Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visitors can explore glowing sculptures, massive lanterns and performances after dark<\/p>\n

Dallas Zoo is about to light up the night. Starting April 17, the zoo will host Illuminature, a lantern festival\u00a0running select nights through June 28. Visitors can wander through a world of glowing sculptures, massive lanterns and imaginative installations that turn the zoo into a luminous playground.<\/p>\n

A World of Light And Imagination<\/p>\n

At the heart of Illuminature are gigantic lanterns created by Tianyu<\/a>, depicting wildlife and natural wonders in breathtaking color and scale. Guests can explore immersive sculptures and interactive installations, offering plenty of spots for photos, play and even hands-on activities. A soccer-themed fan zone adds an energetic twist to the evening, letting families celebrate the global matches coming to Dallas.<\/p>\n

The festival<\/a> also features nightly performances at the Wonders of the Wild stage in ZooNorth. Visitors can catch Sichuan opera face-changing, acrobatics, head balancing\u00a0and artistic hula hoop showcases at 7, 8 and 8:50 p.m. Each performance lasts about 20 minutes and is included with admission.<\/p>\n

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\nPhoto: Dallas Zoo <\/p>\n

For those wanting a little extra sparkle, the Glow & Go package includes a glow necklace, butterfly wand, plantable seed pop, a container of popcorn and a keepsake Illuminature tote bag. Pre-ordering online saves a few bucks, with prices at $25 for the public and $23 for Dallas Zoo members.<\/p>\n

Get Your Tickets<\/p>\n

Illuminature will be open Sunday through Thursday from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to pre-order tickets<\/a> online for a smoother experience, though they are available at the gate as well.<\/p>\n

General admission runs $24 for adults and $20 for youth, while Dallas Zoo members pay $20 for adults and $16 for youth. For those wanting a full-day adventure, the Illuminature Combo Ticket lets you see the zoo in the afternoon and then stay for the glowing evening displays for an additional $12 per person.<\/p>\n

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\nPhoto: Dallas Zoo <\/p>\n

On June 21, the zoo is throwing the Sunset Safari Block Party in partnership with Visit Dallas, Halperin Park and East Dock. Tickets for that night are just $15 and will feature a festive atmosphere perfect for soccer fans and glow-lovers alike.<\/p>\n

Note: While Illuminature is all about nighttime magic, most of the zoo\u2019s animals will have already gone to sleep. The Combo Ticket is ideal for those who want to catch the animals in the afternoon before the lanterns light up the evening.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss anything Local. Sign up<\/a> for our free newsletter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Visitors can explore glowing sculptures, massive lanterns and performances after dark Dallas Zoo is about to light up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":232735,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103],"class_list":{"0":"post-232734","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-dallas","9":"tag-dallas-headlines","10":"tag-dallas-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}