A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Denver Zoo's Glowing Wild Event Series

Colorful cloth plants and animals have taken over the Denver Zoo, and they glow. The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is currently setting up for its new attraction, Glowing Wild, and tickets are on sale now for the immersive events, which will take place at the zoo on select dates from March through May.
Glowing Wild features sixty scenes made of larger-than-life plant and animal lanterns, including a twenty-foot-tall butterfly tree, a herd of giant giraffes and a 130-foot-long walk-through crocodile. "We know the community loves special events on our campus above and beyond our daytime experience from many years of doing Zoo Lights, Wild Fall, Flock Party and many other evening events, and we saw an opportunity to welcome guests for an all-new experience as the days get warmer and longer in the spring," says Director of Guest Operations Shaughn Sinclair.
A team from Tianyu, a lantern company in China, is currently assembling the cloth-and-wire structures while the zoo is closed for a water main replacement. All of the colorful lanterns light up, and many of them move. At the zoo's entrance, the butterfly tree welcomes guests with butterflies fluttering their wings at the base. Visitors will also find interactive and play elements like talking budgies, a light-up dance floor, see-saws "and a few other surprises," Sinclair says.
Glowing Wild nights will offer music entertainment and a brand-new menu of snacks and drinks, including bánh mì sliders, mini meat pies, piri piri chicken tenders and more. Adult Nights are slated for April 1 and May 3 for those who want to explore the event without worrying about tripping over a child, and the zoo will host a Glowing Wild Sensory-Friendly Night on April 13 to accommodate guests living with sensory processing disorders. That event will offer reduced crowds, low-volume music, quiet rooms and more.
"We hope our guests and members enjoy this entirely new experience and see DZCA in a whole new light, pun intended," Sinclair says. "It's a truly sensational experience and we're excited to bring Glowing Wild to the community."
Glowing Wild events start March 13 at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, 2300 Steele Street. General admission tickets start at $26 for adults, $19 for youth (free for kids under three). Get more information and tickets here.