This year’s Fort Wayne Light Fest will feature an awe-inspiring route of more than 200 animated light displays and new this year, enjoy Wild Lights at the Fort Wayne Zoo.
News release from the Fort Wayne Zoo and Blue Jacket:
Fort Wayne Zoo and Blue Jacket Proudly Present Fort Wayne Light Fest
Fort Wayne, Indiana (September 25, 2025) – The Holiday season is now twice as bright as the Fort Wayne Zoo and Blue Jacket present Fort Wayne Light Fest!
Within Fort Wayne Light Fest, guests can drive through an awe-inspiring route of more than 200 animated light displays and brand new this year, enjoy Wild Lights at the Fort Wayne Zoo.
A new family tradition, Wild Lights at the Fort Wayne Zoo begins in Santa’s Cottage with the opportunity to meet Santa himself. Guests can then journey into the Zoo and walk among a dazzling display of nearly one-million lights, attend a dance party and nightly tree-lighting hosted by Santa’s elves, toast s’mores, ride the Evergreen Express, decorate sugar cookies with festive favorites, and even get nose-to-nose with Santa’s reindeer! Indiana Family Farm, Central Zoo, Coastal Cove, Red Panda Ridge and parts of Australian Adventure will be open for guests to walkabout.
Wild Lights will be open on select dates, beginning Friday, November 28 through Sunday, January 4, 2026.
Exclusive early-elf discounts are available starting today until November 9, 2025.
- Discount rates are $8 for Fort Wayne Zoo Members and $10 for non-members
- Blue Jacket Fantasy of Lights is offering a 10% discount on tickets through this time.
“We are excited to partner with Blue Jacket to make the Fort Wayne holiday season twice as bright while also furthering the mission of two community non-profits,” Explains Rick Schuiteman, Fort Wayne Zoo Director & CEO. “The heart of Fort Wayne Light Fest is to create an inclusive, joyful holiday experience that strengthens families and inspires people to care.”
“This is truly an all-encompassing experience for everyone: the family-tradition itself, Fantasy of Lights, a Christmas Village with a variety of vendors, and the brand-new Wild Lights!” States Tony Hudson, CEO of Blue Jacket. “This collaboration perfectly reflects our shared commitment towards creating a meaningful experience for families across our city.”
Visit FWLightFest.org for exclusive early-elf discounts and a complete list of pricing, dates, and event information.
About the Fort Wayne Zoo
The Fort Wayne Zoo is northeast Indiana’s largest tourist attraction, hosting more than 650,000 guests annually. The Zoo is home to Red Panda Ridge named #6 in USA Today 10Best Zoo Exhibits for 2024. In 2021, the Zoo was voted Visit Indiana’s “Summer Bucket List Top Attraction” and is consistently named one of the nation’s Top Ten Zoos for Kids by national media outlets.The Zoo is a conservation leader, investing in local, regional, and international efforts to protect wildlife and their habitats. The Zoo cares for more than 1,500 animals and participates in 41 cooperative species survival plan programs and 42 taxon advisory groups, which are critical to supporting threatened species.
As a self-supporting facility, the Fort Wayne Zoo receives no tax dollars for daily operations, unlike most accredited zoos where those dollars fund approximately 40% of their annual operating budgets. The Zoo’s mission is made possible thanks to support derived from admissions, memberships, donations, group picnics, special ticketed events, and other visitation-related activities.
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