Lantern Festival at John Ball Zoo sold out

Nov 26, 2023

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The first-ever Grand Rapids Lantern Festival at the John Ball Zoo is officially sold out through the end of the event.

The zoo posted on their Facebook page that there are no remaining tickets for the June 7 through June 11 dates, and that those interested should not attempt to buy walk-up tickets.

If you weren't able to make it to the festival this year, don't worry! Jennifer Czekai, marketing director at John Ball Zoo says it will be returning in 2024 with new lanterns and a new design.

"We’re really happy about the popularity of the festival and that over 100,000 people were able to enjoy it this year, and because of the excitement around it, we will be bringing it back next spring with all new lantern designs," Czekai said.

This year, the lanterns featured animals, flowers, underwater creatures, traditional Chinese lanterns and more. Some lanterns were curated for the zoo, like pygmy hippo lanterns that complement the zoo's new pygmy hippo exhibit.

The festival is hosted by Tianyu Arts & Culture, which aims to spread Chinese cultural events across the globe. Tianyu's lantern festivals also educate visitors about conservation and sustainability efforts, and are often held at zoos and botanical gardens.

Throughout the festival, visitors enjoyed the authentic lanterns along with performances, food vendors and special merchandise.

There were also interactive lanterns that blew bubbles, as well as a playground, plenty of photo ops and games.

The last day of the festival is June 11.

Zoo officials say to watch for announcements about the 2024 festival. To learn more about the zoo and keep an eye out for 2024 lantern festival details, click here.

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