FAMILY NEW YEAR'S EVE to Celebrate 2017 at LA Zoo Lights

FAMILY NEW YEAR'S EVE at L.A. Zoo Lights celebrates the coming of 2017 with an evening of holiday fun on Saturday, December 31, 6 to 10 pm.

The special party features "skip-the-line" express entry to the popular Zoo Lights, which sets the Zoo aglow in wonder and delight, a dinner buffet, soft drinks, an East-Coast-midnight toast with a complimentary glass of champagne for adults and sparkling apple cider for kids, dessert, a ride on the Zoo's conservation carousel, games, a DJ dance party, cash bar and live broadcast of New York's Times Square ball drop at 9 pm. While most animal residents are asleep, Family New Year's Eve visitors can view the LAIR's amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles as well as enjoy the only opportunity in Los Angeles to see a real reindeer family comprised of two adults and two adorable babies. Family New Year's Eve takes place in addition to regular admission and hours as L.A. Zoo Lights captivates guests with a self-guided 60- to 90-minute walking tour through select areas of the Zoo.

L.A. Zoo Lights, awarded USA Today's 2015 "10 Best Zoo Lights" honor and currently in the running for this year's honor, tops everyone's "holiday must" destination list with a fanciful menagerie of animal characters brought to "life," LED lights by the thousands, giant illuminated snowflakes, a "red-carpet" 50th Anniversary party celebrating the Zoo's Golden Year, a disco ball forest, glittering twinkle tunnels, stunning 3-D animated projections, and much more. Guests this year enjoy a range of breathtaking new features, among them a laser show set to music boasting majestic screens of water with projections of fanciful animation and an animal shadow puppet installation complete with interactive photo-op and a new waterfall feature in the Children's Zoo. A giant illuminated snake atop the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles), which made its debut last year, flicks its tongue at Zoo Lights visitors this time around as they approach past a bigger, brighter spider web hanging in the courtyard. Inside the LAIR, guests are bathed in ultraviolet light for a black light party with scurrying "insects" above the rock walls.

Established by the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) as a festive annual tradition, LA Zoo Lights Family New Year's Eve celebrates not only the Zoo's 50th anniversary but also its important role as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species, a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife and a special place for people of all ages in the world's entertainment capital.

The landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, drawing 1.75 million visitors each year, is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered, as well as a botanical collection comprising over 800 different plant species with approximately 7,000 individual plants. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, the Zoo has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife. The L.A. Zoo's lush grounds on 113 acres feature Rainforest of the Americas, an extraordinary collection of endangered and exotic mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians living in spaces that exemplify their natural habitat in the rainforest biosphere; Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains, home to one of the largest troops of chimpanzees in the United States; Red Ape Rain Forest, where visitors can walk among orangutans; the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles); Elephants of Asia; Campo Gorilla Reserve; and one of the largest flocks of flamingos in any zoo in the world. Among other highlights are an extraordinary, hands-on Hippo Encounter; the Winnick Family Children's Zoo and Muriel's Ranch animal contact area; the Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel; a variety of daily opportunities to learn more about animals, including close-up visits, special feedings and intriguing talks; and much more. The private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), which has supported the Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles for more than five decades and provides funding for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, has 60,000 member households representing more than 240,000 adults and children. As evidence of the Zoo's popularity, GLAZA attracts one of the largest membership bases of any cultural organization in Los Angeles.

FAMILY NEW YEAR'S EVE tickets are $69 for adults and $45 for children ages 2 to 12, or $64 (adults) and $40 (children) for GLAZA members. All L.A. Zoo Lights events and evenings take place on a "rain-or-shine" basis, with no rain checks issued. Visit LAZoolights.org for details and to purchase tickets.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Free parking is available. 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, (323) 644-4200. For additional information about L.A. Zoo Lights, call 866-949-8007; call center hours are 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week. For tickets and more, visit LAZoolights.org.

Photo Credit: Jamie Pham