Tickets are now on sale for the popular winter lights celebration, ZooLights, at the National Zoo December 4 through January 2.

The event features lighted winter scenes and sculptures of some of the zoo’s most popular animals—illuminated with thousands of twinkling, environmentally-friendly LEDs—including giant pandas, elephants, and zebras. New this year is a stingray, chameleon, and a group of squirrels outside the small-mammal house.

Nightly entertainment lineups include performances by Flumpa and Friends Live (December 26 to 29) and Blue Sky Puppet Theatre (all other nights at 6:45 and 7:45).

Canned goods and other nonperishable food items will be collected in the zoo’s gift shops to benefit the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization. Those who donate will receive 10 percent off retail purchases that night.

ZooLights, put on by Friends of the National Zoo, runs December 4 through December 13 (Friday through Sunday nights) and December 18 through January 2 (every night except December 24, 25, and 31) from 6 to 8:30. Tickets, which are available here, are $8 or $5 for FONZ members.

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