Best Family Event: Zoo Lights

Zoo Lights

Calgary's award-winning, magical holiday tradition, ZOOLIGHTS, glows for six weeks at the Calgary Zoo each winter. By attending this inclusive, family-friendly event, you are supporting wildlife conservation all whilst enjoying a brilliant light display. With outdoor activities like ice skating and fire pits along with themed events like Wizarding Wednesdays and axe-throwing, ZOOLIGHTS aims to brighten up your winter regardless of which day you choose to visit.

Although ZOOLIGHTS only occurs for several weeks each winter around Christmas, its host, the Calgary Zoo, did have to close during the city's shutdown. This location depends on community financial support to operate, through ticket sales, zoo visits, memberships, education program fees, paid programs, private events and donations, among other things. So like many other businesses, closing for 70 days was a huge loss to revenue that their ongoing programs depend on, one of which is ZOOLIGHTS. The Calgary Zoo team is currently asking for donations to help recoup some of their costs as they want to be able to provide their members and guests all of their programs.

You can best support the Calgary Zoo in many different ways, whether that's by donation, volunteering your time, following them on social media or just visiting the zoo this year with your friends and family as it has now reopened to the public. This safety-minded one-way experience is sure to delight and connect you to nature in fun, playful and educative ways. Indoor and outdoor viewing is now open, along with the Kinsmen Zooventure Playground. Currently tickets to enter the Calgary Zoo are not available on-site and must be purchased in advance on their website with a designated entrance time.

FIRST RUNNER UP: BEAKERHEAD

SECOND RUNNER UP: CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL