TOLEDO, Ohio — The Glass City officially gets into the holiday spirit Friday night.
Once again, south Toledo will be fully illuminated for the holiday season with the Toledo Zoo's 38th annual Lights Before Christmas sponsored by Key Bank.
The light displays get bigger and bigger every year, with the team from the zoo now working the majority of the year for this six-week event.
"The horticulture team gets started around late May, early June, and then they just continue up until this week where were debut all of the light display for the year," Jen Brassil, PR and Communications Events for the Toledo Zoo said.
The centerpiece is the 85-foot tall Norway Spruce fitted with a fully programmable lighting display. Plenty of crowd favorites are also slated to return, like illuminated animal images, the dancing lights and the ice slide.
New this year is a completely redesigned Winter Village in the historic amphitheater.
"Now we have Santa down there, and he's in a new heated, chic tent," Brassil said. "We've got some merchandise opportunities, I'm wearing some swag here, we've got some new sweaters and sweatshirts and that for people to get. We have a sweet shop, and we'll have a bar."
And of course, Christmas lights will glitter throughout all of the zoo grounds.
"You know, we stop counting around one million, I know there is more than that," Brassil said. "We have the 200 animal images lit up throughout zoo grounds. We move those around, we know people have their favorites and look for those."
For corporate sponsor Key Bank, helping to put on this annual tradition not only helps the Toledo Zoo, but the local economy as the lights bring in visitors from across the region.
"Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. They're coming here, they're spending their money, they're staying at hotels, they're eating at local restaurants, and they're spending their money here at the Toledo Zoo. So, it's a great economic give back to our community," Mark Knierim, V.P. of Marketing at Key Bank said.
Lights Before Christmas will open daily at 3 p.m. through the New Year, and will also be open during all upcoming holidays.
WTOL 11 will be live from the Toledo Zoo Lights Before Christmas kickoff during our 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts Friday evening, culminating with the lighting of the Norway Spruce at 6:10 p.m.
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