Previously seen in London, Beijing and Toronto, the Lantern Festival has arrived in Florida for an authentic celebration of the Chinese New Year. Zoominations promises to be one of the largest and most spectacular light festivals ever held in the United States. Spectators can view 30 remarkable scenes spread across 26 acres of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.
A team of 40 highly-skilled craftsmen and women from the village of Zigong, the birthplace of the Chinese Lantern Festival, traveled 7,500 miles and spent four weeks creating the large-scale, illuminated displays. Artisans of the utmost skill and talent design and weld 3-D wire frames to create the forms, insert LED lights into the framework, and apply silk fabric over the frames with meticulous precision. Other magnificent structures are made with thousands of pieces of traditional blue and white porcelain – each painstakingly applied by hand.
Along with the brilliant art installations, Zoominations features performances by Chinese acrobats and an artisan market with unique handmade crafts. Zoominations is a nighttime event that carries a separate ticket from Zoo daytime admission. Tickets are available at www.TampaLanternFest.org.
source: smarterlifestyles.com
