Nashville's zoo will not be alight with the warm glow of lanterns this winter after the Chinese artisans who build the displays were not granted visas to enter the country.
The zoo has hosted the largest lantern festival in the U.S. since 2019 with help from the InLight Festival Group based in Zigong, China. The artisans built towering armatures of animals across the zoo, covered them in bright, colorful fabric and wired them to glow from within, lighting the paths around the grounds.
"The company’s expertise has created five years of magical displays for Zoolumination, making lasting memories for families around the country," the zoo said in a statement Sept. 9. "Unfortunately, visa applications for this year’s artisans were denied, and the Zoo was
unable to find a solution that would allow Zoolumination to continue this year."
The visa denials come at a time when immigration laws are increasingly under scrutiny and revision, adding stricter barriers for temporary international workers.
The Nashville Zoo isn't the only venue impacted by these changes. The Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa, announced in March they'd be canceling their Wild Lights festival after organizers could not secure visas for enough workers to handle the demand, the Des Moines Register reported.
The Buffalo Zoo in New York also canceled their summer Zoomagination Lantern Festival in July.
The unexpected hiccup in plans forced the zoo to pivot to a new winter event.
"In Zoolumination’s place, the Zoo will host Glow Wild, a new holiday light show featuring glowing wildlife, holiday displays, and an 85-foot synchronized Christmas tree," the zoo said.
So while the sculptures won't have vibrant fabrics, they will still glow with lights dancing in a tangle of tubing revealing the animal shape, according to a sneak peek video the zoo posted.
Glow Wild will open Nov. 13 nightly through Jan. 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at nashvillezoo.org/glow-wild.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Visa issues cancel Nashville Zoo's annual Zoolumination
