Around the Sound: Woodland Park Zoo’s WildLanterns with shades of Game of Thrones

SEATTLE — It’s that time of year again where hundreds of lanterns line the walkway at Woodland Park Zoo. The WildLanterns kickoff is this Friday at 4 p.m. Be sure to stop by this weekend to find your new favorite one!

“It’s really a unique new show with a lot of fantasy elements that will remind you of Game of Thrones or Mario, and it’s really bright and vibrant and like a neon element this year, that’s exciting,” WPZ Events Installation Manager, Dane Lund said.

As soon as you enter the zoo, you’re greeted by rain clouds, not to be mistaken for jellyfish, but it’s up for debate. Similar to last year’s installation, you’ll still find birds and critters, but the zoo is constantly changing lanterns to make sure your experience is filled with brand new lanterns each year, and that takes plenty of planning.

“It’s a year long process. We’re already in conversations about next year’s show, but with the install the lanterns begin arriving in September; we open in November, so two months really straight of the install. We put a lot of work into this, and we have a lot of fun doing it, and the most rewarding thing is seeing folks come out and really enjoy it. You’ll see grandparents with their grandkids and everyone has this same kind of sense of wonder having fun, walking around with hot chocolate. It’s a great feeling seeing everyone happy during the winter time,” Lund said.

Head to the Woodland Park Zoo for the official WildLanterns kickoff Friday night from 4-9 p.m. \. You can enjoy the beautiful displays until mid-January!

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