By Simone Kramer
A colorful glow lights the sky above the Franklin Park Zoo each night from August to November, a result of delicate, larger-than-life lanterns designed to transport people to distant lands, across lively coral reefs and into traditional Chinese villages.
“My favorite part is really seeing the joy on people’s faces as they walk around and discover these incredibly beautiful lanterns,” said Brooke Wardrop, the zoo’s vice president of marketing and communications. “There’s nothing like this experience in Boston.”
The annual show began six years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic. During a period of isolation for many, the zoo provided Bostonians an opportunity to safely leave the house and enjoy an event with others, according to Cassie Chance, associate director of marketing at Zoo New England, which owns and operates Franklin Zoo and Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. More than 5,000 people enjoyed the light show Oct. 4, a typical Saturday turnout, Chance said.
Naomi and Marco Mendiola, of Chicago, strolled along the Zoo’s lighted promenade on a recent chilly night. They noticed the attraction on an Instagram video showcasing activities around the city. Fans of similar community events at home, they expressed appreciation for the grandeur of the show.
“I think it’s beautiful. I wish we had something like this back at home,” Naomi said. “It seemed like there’s a lot of work that went into putting this all together.”
The zoo works closely with Tianyu Arts & Culture to design and build lanterns, according to Chance. It is the “largest Chinese lantern festival producer in North America,” according to the company’s website. Lanterns are built at a warehouse in China and are shipped around the world. Tianyu’s other partners include the National Museum of Natural History in France, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Los Angeles Zoo, among others.
Three years ago, Chance helped design an Egypt-themed section at the zoo. “I actually worked at the MFA (Boston Museum of Fine Arts) and the Egyptian curator there to craft that whole section right down to the hieroglyphs,” she said.
Zoo officials use surveys to understand which lanterns and interactive exhibits are most popular with visitors. “We take great care to have different themes and different lanterns each year so it’s a new experience,” said Wardrop.
The zoo wants to ensure that local community members also benefit from the event. Chance said that each year before the event opening, it hosts a community night with free entry for key community groups and non-profit organizations from surrounding areas such as Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and Dorchester.
“It’s really important to us that this event be accessible to everyone,” Chance said.
The zoo’s lantern festival runs through Nov. 2. Beginning in October, lights illuminate an hour earlier, at 5:00 p.m., due to earlier sunsets, according to Wardrop. Guests can stay until 10:30 p.m.
Wardrop said leaders of the zoo value biodiversity. “And so, as guests walk throughout Boston lights, they will notice signage that we have to relate the lantern themes back to conservation.”
The zoo features interactive experiences such as motion sensors, a carousel and a wall of lanterns that challenge visitors to solve riddles.
It also supports projects such as Health In Harmony, a program that aspires to preserve wildlife and human health in the Manombo region of Madagascar.
“[We’re] always trying to make sure that we keep the community engaged,” Chance said. “[It’s about] …really trying to make that connection, not just about the work we do in Eastern Massachusetts and from New England, but the connection between the work we do globally.”
Simone Kramer is a student in the Boston University Journalism program. This story is a partnership between The Boston Sun and the Boston University Journalism program.