Over 420,000 Merry Makers Visited Beloved Holiday Event
Chicago, 2013-01-12 — /travelprnews.com/ — With a record-breaking 420,484 attendees this season, ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Charter One once again established itself as Chicago’s ultimate holiday must-do. And of those nearly half a million attendees, at least nine lucky ladies ended up with the ultimate stocking stuffer – an engagement ring.
“We were delighted with the numbers last year, but this year’s attendance was beyond our wildest dreams,” said Director of Events Dana Jussaume. “ZooLights just keeps getting bigger, better and brighter!”
Brighter thanks to a host of new attractions like vividlycolored 3-D animals, a magical Arctic setting for Santa Claus and his cold-weather critters, and an amped-up light and music show on the zoo’s South Lawn added to the two million twinkling bulbs illuminating the entire zoo.
And guests just couldn’t get enough of the pair of Christmas cuties in Regenstein Center for African Apes. Gorilla babies Patty and Nayembi, born just a month apart this past fall, were the stars of the season despite spending much of the event sleeping soundly in their mothers’ arms.
“ZooLights is the ultimate family outing, and the gorilla babies are a great reminder of that,” said Jussaume. “It is also a romantic affair; this year we had at least nine proposals. And I’m pleased to report that all the women said yes.”
The conclusion of ZooLights doesn’t signal the end of romantic opportunities at Lincoln Park Zoo. Join zoo staff on February 9 for Animal Attractions Breakfast, a saucy, just-for-adults event that takes a look at the wild side of wildlife. Learn more at www.lpzoo.org or call 312-742-2000.
Of course, Lincoln Park Zoo remains FREE and open to the public 365 days a year and is the perfect place to pop the question, whatever the season.
ZooLights 2012 was presented by ComEd and Charter One. The event is also sponsored by MINI of Chicago, WLIT-FM, Pepsi and United Airlines.
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ABOUT LINCOLN PARK ZOO
Lincoln Park Zoo, a historic Chicago landmark founded in 1868, is dedicated to connecting people with nature by providing a free, family-oriented wildlife experience. A leader in conservation science both globally and locally, the zoo exemplifies the highest quality animal care and educational outreach. The notfor-profit zoo, managed by The Lincoln Park Zoological Society, is a member-supported organization and one of the nation’s only free, privately managed zoos. For more information, call 312 -742-2000 or visit www.lpzoo.org.
Media Contact:
Sharon Dewar Tiffany Ruddle
312-742-2246 312-742-5791
SDewar@lpzoo.org TRuddle@lpzoo.org