NORFOLK, Va. — Author's note: the video above is on file from Aug. 5, 2021.
The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk has a different take on your typical holiday light show.
ZooLumination, where people can walk through a lineup of giant, inflatable and LED-lit animals, kicks off on Nov. 19, 2021.
Ashley Mars, a spokesperson for the zoo, said 2021's ZooLumination lineup will have 29 inflatables. She said their biggest one, a giraffe, is 30 feet tall.
Guests can visit the giant animals during regular daytime visits to the zoo, but if you want to see them lit up, you'll have to come at night.
This is the first year the Virginia Zoo will let people drive through their setup at night. Mars said cars can tune in to WHRO during the ride for a narrated audio tour.
The show is included with general admission if you get tickets for a daytime visit. The cost for tickets is $45-$50 per car, depending on what night of the week you go. There are discount options for Virginia Zoo Members.
"All the inflatable sculptures are internally lit with LED lights. In addition to that, more than 200 light fixtures containing over 3,000 individual LED lights will create a spectacular visual backdrop for the animals that bring their surroundings to life," she said. "Some of the individual light fixtures will illuminate lighting as bright as 18,000 lumens with hundreds of colorful combinations."
The show is set to run through Jan. 9, 2022. Mars said drive-thru tickets might sell out, so reserving them early is the safest bet. You can get them by clicking here.