Aug30🤝 Community
🤝 Community
Asian Lantern Festival at Central Florida Zoo
Date
Friday, Nov 13, 2026 to Sunday, Jan 17, 2027
Location
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
3755 W. Seminole Blvd, Sanford, FL 32771
3755 W. Seminole Blvd, Sanford, FL 32771
Organized by
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
About this happenin
After the animals have gone in for the night, the Central Florida Zoo hands its grounds over to lantern makers, who fill a three-quarter-mile loop with more than 50 illuminated silk-and-steel sculptures. Scale is the surprise: a showcase dragon that swallows a whole clearing, a corridor of glowing parasols overhead, mythical creatures standing beside oversized wildlife. Live music, artisan crafts and seasonal food and drink line the path. Know before you go: this is a separately ticketed after-hours event, not zoo admission, and annual passholders get a discounted rate rather than free entry. Tickets are online only, sold for a set entry time of 6, 7 or 8 p.m.; whichever you pick, you can stay until the 10 p.m. close and walk the loop as many times as you like. Last admission is 9:15 p.m., and most groups need an hour to 90 minutes. The animals stay in their night habitats, so save them for a daytime visit. It runs rain or shine, with no refunds or date exchanges.
Where
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens · 3755 W. Seminole Blvd, Sanford, FL 32771
Open in Maps
