First Time at Holiday Nights? Here’s Your Guide to Having a Holly-Jolly Time
Over the last three years, Holiday Nights at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has grown into a time-honored tradition for so many members of our zoo family. Every year without fail, the zoo’s nonprofit partner, the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, works tirelessly to host the dazzling event for the community. The result is a series of magical nights that bring together the giving spirit of the season, the festive mood of winter, and the year-round joy of supporting wildlife conservation. What’s not to love? Holiday Nights has something for everyone!
Holiday Nights has so much fun jam-packed into it that it can be hard for a first-timer to know where to start. If this is your first time at Holiday Nights at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo (and even if not), here’s a list of four tips to make your Holiday Nights experience a holly-jolly good time!
1. Indulge Your Sweet Tooth
There’s no shortage of delicious drinks and snacks available during Holiday Nights! Our Honeybee Café, conventionally located near the zoo’s entrance, is open and ready to serve you! The premiere drink of the night is most definitely hot chocolate. It’s sure to keep you warm all night as you stroll through the grounds to gaze at the wondrous lighting displays. For every hot chocolate purchase during Holiday Nights, Friends of the Zoo will donate $1 to United Way CNY through our Zoo United Campaign. You’ll notice the specially designed cup-sleeve celebrating that campaign. Hungry for more? Make some s’mores at the firepits just off the main courtyard. Nothing beats hot s’mores on a cold night.
2. Bring Your Camera
Photo ops galore are waiting for you at Holiday Nights. The Animal Health Center, our state-of-the-art medical facility, transforms into none other than Santa’s Workshop, featuring the man himself! Snap a photo as your children share their lists with Santa or stuff their own plushie pals. (Friends the Zoo is proud to support Make-A-Wish Central New York by donating $5 of every designated stuff-a-plush bear purchase.) In the courtyard under the gazebo is a festive sleigh- the perfect accessory for the photo of those holiday cards! You might even catch one of our animal ambassadors offering a demonstration. Let’s not forget that the lighting displays themselves promise to give your photo that unique, picaresque style. When you’re on your way to the new Humboldt penguin lighting display, be on the lookout for the rainbow-colored tunnel for a festive selfie. (It’s HUGE, so you can’t miss it.) Tag the zoo in your social media posts to show your commitment to wildlife conservation!
3. Carve Out Some Shopping Time
Bring your lists and check them twice, because Holiday Nights is your one-stop shop for a variety of holiday favorites. In a spacious, enclosed tent located near the domestic animal barn, you’ll find the Visions Federal Credit Union Holiday Marketplace, where a variety of small businesses and local organizations will have specialty products (even some free samples!) to browse and to buy. For all your Rosamond Gifford Zoo merch needs, our Curious Cub Gift Shop will be open, fully stocked with clothing, accessories, drinkware, and the most adorable plushies you’ve ever seen, many of which correspond to the species who live at the zoo.
4. Embrace the Chill
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor wind chill stops the fun of Holiday Nights. Our dedicated maintenance crew ensures that all pathways are accessible and safe for all our guests. Additionally, mobility scooters are available free of charge at the front desk. The event features a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, so you’ll have no problem navigating even the most… shall we say… dynamic CNY weather. Bundle up and enjoy!
For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit https://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/holiday-nights/.
