What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1488325
JACK SCHNEDLER Special to the Democrat-Gazette F ifteen dinosaurs have dropped by the Little Rock Zoo for the holidays. These colorful creatures are not refugees from a "Jurassic Park" sequel. Neither do they menace visitors. They've arrived to dazzle crowds as the most awesome new feature in GloWild 2022, the zoo's second winter show of glow-in-the- dark animals and plants crafted from silk. The zoo is advertising GloWild 2022, open most evenings through Jan. 7, to be "twice as bright." That's not hyperbole. Some of the lighted animals and flowers are back from 2021. But a good many new displays have been added, the dinosaurs being only the most eye-popping. Motion has been added to more scenes, along with the return from last year of the huge peacock near the main entrance that slowly flaps its wings. "Last year's attendance was a huge surprise to us," says Susan Altrui, the zoo director. "For that first-time event, we had nearly 30,000 paying visitors, and that's really strong for such a novelty. This year, we not only added the dinosaurs, but an additional section where the popular wisteria tunnel and the glow swings are located. We have a total of 44 lantern display areas all over the zoo grounds. The lanterns are true works of art." Back from last year are such favorites as elephants and rhinoceroses, but new species include sloths and penguins. The dinosaurs, arranged in seven settings, include carnivores as well as herbivores. Some will be familiar to moviegoers. But others have names strange to most visitors, like Therizinosaurus, Lystrosaurus and Diplodocus. Information panels give details on each species. The zoo has a partnership with Tianyu Arts & Culture, the largest Chinese lantern festival producer in North America, to design and present the event. The displays along the winding path that extends across the zoo are illuminated by more than 50,000 LED lights. Some lanterns replicate animals kept at the Little Rock Zoo. Others do not. There is a reason for displaying giant pandas and other species absent from the zoo, Altrui explains: "GloWild features endangered and threatened animals, while including information about them for guests to read along the path. That can help provide understanding about the plight of many of these beautiful animals and their perils." In that respect, she sees the glowing dinosaurs as having not only a visual impact but perhaps an educational one as well. She believes they "can teach us about conservation on our planet right now. We have a lot of animals headed toward extinction, so dinosaurs are a great reminder of the species we might lose." On GloWild evenings, the zoo's Nature Play area is open for youngsters. It's enhanced with lighted stepping stones, color-changing cubes and lighted moon swings. Operating for a fee will be the Arkansas Diamond Express mini-train. Added to GloWild this year are visits from Santa Claus, the last of which takes place Dec. 18. He will be in Cafe Africa during GloWild to take children's wish lists and pose for photographs. On Dec. 31, there will be a New Year's Eve party from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The GloWild audience can enjoy games, prizes and party favors to start ringing out 2022. little rock 38 What's up! December 18-24, 2022 Faq GloWild 2022 WHEN — 5-9 p.m. through Dec. 23, Dec. 26-31, Jan. 1 and Jan. 4-7 WHERE — little rock Zoo, 1 Zoo Drive in War Memorial Park COST — $20 for visitors 3 and older, free for youngsters 2 and younger; zoo members pay $17 INFO — littlerockzoo.com; 501-661-7200 BONUS — information on other holiday lights programs around the state is available at arkansas.com/trailofholi- daylights. Dazzling Dinos biggest and most popular added to GloWild Therizinosaurus, meaning "scythe lizard," reached lengths of 30 feet and more. he's one of the lesser known species dropping in for the holidays at the Little rock Zoo. (special to the Democrat-Gazette/ Jack schnedler)