TOLEDO, Ohio — At 6:10 p.m. Friday evening, Zoo attendees began the countdown for the lighting of the facility's 85-foot Norway Spruce. When they reached zero, the tree, otherwise darkened by low-hanging clouds well after sunset, came to life with thousands of multi-colored lights.
Only a moment later, Noah Condon of west Toledo got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Justina Peace. She said yes.
Plenty of people had reasons to enjoy the season at the Toledo Zoo, which kicked off its annual Lights Before Christmas display Friday and runs through Dec. 31.
Some traveled quite some distances to enjoy the day. 2-year-old Nash of Grand Blanc, Michigan was thrilled to see the elephants, which were warm and cozy in their indoor exhibits. He had visited the Toledo Zoo a few months earlier and liked them just as much Friday as he did then.
Meanwhile, in the new-and-improved Winter Village, families were busy chatting with the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who.
The Grinch, as a matter of course and in-character malice, vowed to steal Christmas. Cindy Lou Who promised young visitors she and Santa were hard at work thwarting his small-hearted wiles.
The Grinch may be a grump, but he is never one to turn down a photo-op.
Unless, of course, he's a little too scary to pose with. Nora and Myla Forsyth from Essex, Ontario spent time with Cindy, instead.
The Winter Village featured plenty of fun things to enjoy for everyone in the family. The ice slide is a favorite of many, including Miles and Lucy Adams-Brewer, who were excited to drink hot cocoa after zipping down the slide.
The Winter Village was also the site of rest and relaxation, where fire pits, food and drinks provided the necessary warmth to brave a northwest Ohio mid-November, a time of year that can mean anything from unseasonable warmth to bitter cold. Fortunately, and festively, Friday's weather was, to quote Goldilocks if she were a meteorologist, just right for this time of year.
Zoogoers enjoyed snacks and drinks while they bundled up and rested near the small shops and snack stands.
"I've heard there are brand new things to explore," Tobias Hensley said. "I've come here ever since I was a kid, and I think the new areas bring back families every year."
"It's been a long time since I've been here," Anthony Kalell said. "I'm really excited about the lights."
A group of friends from Blissfield, Mich., posed on the bench in the zoo's botanical gardens and, in between periods of rough-housing and teasing each other in good nature, said they were excited to see the aquarium and Santa Claus.
For northwest Ohioans (and their visitors), 'tis the season at the Toledo Zoo.
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