Cleveland, Ohio – The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will light up this week.

For the second year in a row, the Zoo will host an Asian Lantern Festival featuring hundreds of illuminated lanterns, from June 20 – July 28.

This years’ experience will be more interactive than ever.

“Guests were so excited about last year, we wanted to bring the lanterns back, but we wanted it to be a new and unique experience,” says Kelly Manderfield, Chief Marketing Officer.

“There will be a fully illuminated, 100-foot long shark people can walk through. There will also be four interactive zones where guests can, for example, beat a drum and light up different aspects of a display. There will also be a swing that will change colors and lily pads people can hop on to change colors.”

This year’s festival, presented by Cleveland Clinic Children’s, will feature more than 40 all-new, large-scale illuminated, multi-lantern creations by Chicago’s Tianyu Arts and Culture firm. It will run Thursday through Sunday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Advance tickets, $15.50 for members and $18.50 for non-members, or a 4-pack for $50, are available until midnight the day before you attend. Day-of tickets will be $20.50 each or a 4-pack for $60. Children under 2 will be admitted for free. Single night tickets and a four-pack are on sale now at futureforwildlife.org/lanterns.

The new displays also include a 30-foot-tall giant panda, interactive moon swings, tigers, temples made out of China plates, and Chinese pagodas. Artisans from China have been in town all month setting up.

The Zoo plans to enhance the experience with more Asian food vendors, including Li Wah and King Wah selling boba tea, sushi, ramen and other favorites.

They are also expanding the entertainment, with live performances every hour on the Fifth Third Bank Stage, including foot juggling, contortion and martial arts. There will also be an Asian craft market.

Manderfield says the lantern festival is an appealing way to get new visitors to the Zoo.

“Our goal is to celebrate Asian culture and create a unique guest experience, to attract folks from the across the community in all ages to come to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

“We’ve changed a lot of things here, bringing animal conservation and care to the forefront and they will see that once they are here, whether it’s in the Rosebrough Tiger Passage or Asian Highlands. … This is the chance to experience the Zoo in a whole new light.”