Rosamond Gifford Zoo Announces Return of Holiday Nights 2025

This December, the zoo transforms into a festive winter wonderland with dazzling lights, live entertainment, and special holiday characters!

SYRACUSE, NY – It's the most wonderful time of the year! Holiday Nights returns to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for a holiday experience unlike any other. Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo hosts these enchanting evenings on Fridays and Saturdays, December 5–20, from 5–8 p.m., transforming the zoo into a festive winter wonderland. We welcome the public to enjoy a delightful, after-hours stroll across zoo grounds filled with sparkling light displays, dazzling entertainment, and sweet treats as we come together to support wildlife conservation. Tickets are on sale now at rosamondgiffordzoo.org.

Guests can enjoy special holiday moments, including:

• Visits with Santa and Friends: Santa will be here every night of our event but guests won’t want to miss, Mrs. Claus, Wannabe the Magical Moose, Frostina, the Sparkling Christmas Ornament, and Twinkle, the Magical Christmas Tree who will be here December 5 and 6! You may even run into everyone’s favorite Blue Heeler!
• More Beloved Characters: Photo opportunities with beloved winter characters, including the famous snow queen, her sister, and their silly snowman friend, making special appearances throughout the grounds!
• Live Holiday Music: Enjoy festive performances from local groups, including Caroling
• Holiday Shopping Market: A dedicated area featuring 20+ vendors for unique items, perfect for finishing your holiday shopping.
• The NEW Holiday Village: A festive area focused on community and comfort, featuring fire pits with s'mores, a hot chocolate stand, and additional live entertainment for all ages. (The Honeybee Café and Hofmann Dog House will also be open.)
• Dazzling light displays throughout the zoo grounds.

'Tis the season for giving, and Holiday Nights is no exception. When guests participate in Holiday Nights, they give the gift of support to our zoo. In the spirit of the season, the Friends Zoo United campaign will donate $1 from every hot chocolate purchased at Holiday Nights to United Way of Central New York.

Join us at Holiday Nights as we celebrate our beloved animals, the essential place they have in our world, and work towards conserving wildlife locally and globally.

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