Home » **Annual Event**, *Top Pick*, Fairs & Festivals, In Person, Tree + Holiday Lightings

New Year’s Day at Oakland Zoo’s “Glowfari” 2024 Lights Festival

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm | Cost: $26.50*
*Adult admission tickets start at $26.50; The Zoo is using dynamic pricing, so ticket prices will vary based on date and time and purchase date. Buy early. Tickets do sell out in advance.

Oakland Zoo | 9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland, CA

Event Details

“Glowfari” 2024 Lights Festival at Oakland Zoo (Nov. 8-Jan. 26)

Glowfari returns in November 2024!

This wildly popular, family-friendly experience features hundreds of ALL new, larger-than-life animal lanterns throughout the Zoo. Each lantern tells the story of the ongoing journey of wildlife, the importance of every species on our planet, and Oakland Zoo’s commitment to conservation.

This year’s experience features new themes – take a float down Africa’s longest river, the Nile to view wading wildlife and ancient Egyptian structures, a trip to the farm to visit barnyard favorites like cows, chicken, and sheep, a hike up the highest peaks to visit animals at the top of the world like ibex and alpaca, and a return to the past to see dinosaurs take over the California trail.

Finish your experience with a train ride through an Avian Odyssey, with our winged, feathered friends from parrots to puffins!

Glowfari takes place November 8-January 26. November 20-27, 29-30, 2024 | December 1-23, 26-31, 2024 | January 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 2025

All Ages | 4:30pm to 9:00pm

  • Admission is using a dynamic pricing system or plan-ahead pricing ticketing system. Plan-ahead pricing allows you to book your zoo visit in advance while keeping your budget and schedule in mind. Please note that ticket prices may vary nightly. The closer you book to the date of your visit, the higher the ticket price may be. To ensure that you get the best ticket price for your visit, we recommend that you book your tickets as far in advance as possible. There are no group discounts on tickets for this event. The lowest adult priced general admission ticket we can see if $26.50.
  • Members: 10% discount
  • Under 2 and 76 and over: Free

Parking: Free

Visit Santa in the Rides Area Fridays – Sundays in November and every night December 1-23 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm (line closes at 8:45pm). Please note, Santa’s hours are subject to change and he may have to head back to the North Pole if it gets too wet.

Glowfari tickets roll on sale online 28 days in advance of each visit date at 9:00am each day. Tickets have typically sold out in the past, so purchase your tickets early.

 

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Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: $26.50*
*Adult admission tickets start at $26.50; The Zoo is using dynamic pricing, so ticket prices will vary based on date and time and purchase date. Buy early. Tickets do sell out in advance.
Categories: **Annual Event**, *Top Pick*, Fairs & Festivals, In Person, Tree + Holiday Lightings
Address: 9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland, CA

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

7:30 am   Free Admission Day at SF Botanical Garden for New Year’s Day 2025  FREE*
*Free on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and daily from 7:30-9 am
9:00 am   Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)  FREE*
*Free from 9-10am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; otherwise non-resident admission is $12 - $16 depending on the season. San Francisco residents are always free with valid ID
10:00 am   SF’s Holiday Ice Skating Session at Union Square (New Year’s Day)  $20*
*Tickets are $20 with skate rental included in the cost of admission
10:00 am   “Pay What You Can” Wednesday at SF’s Museum of Craft and Design  FREE*
*Pay What You Can. Visitors are welcome to pay what they can every Wednesday
10:30 am   New Year’s Day 2025 World Naked Bike Ride + Polar Plunge (SF)  FREE
11:00 am   2025 New Year’s Day “Hatsumode” Japanese Shrine Visit (SF)  FREE
11:00 am   Free Admission Day at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)  FREE
11:00 am   SF’s GLBT History Museum: Free First Wednesday  FREE*
*Free tickets are not available for reservation online on free days; all visitors will be welcomed to the museum as long as there is capacity on a first-come, first-served basis.
12:00 pm   New Year’s (& Final) Day 2025 at San Jose’s “Christmas in the Park”  FREE*
*Free, but donations are accepted
12:00 pm   New Year’s Day Ice Skating at San Jose’s “Downtown Ice”  $21*
*$21 includes skate rentals
2:00 pm   New Year’s Day Collaborative Huge Art at SF’s Ocean Beach (2024)  FREE*
*donations welcome, not required
2:30 pm   SF’s New Year’s Day 2025 Polar Bear Ice Skate (Union Square)  FREE*
*Free to watch; $25 to skate (Includes Skate Rental)
4:00 pm   Union Square’s 2024 Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: Final Night  FREE
5:00 pm   SF’s “Photosynthesis” Light Show (Conservatory of Flowers)  FREE*
*Free to watch from outside the building.
5:00 pm   2024 Pier 39 New Year’s Day Christmas Tree Lighting Show  FREE
7:00 pm   Black Hammer’s Free “Hopped Up” Trivia Night (Every Wednesday)  FREE
7:00 pm   “Comedians with Criminal Records” Live in SF (7p + 8:45p)  FREE*
*Free with RSVP for first 50 people. Donations appreciatied
7:30 pm   “Wolfman Jeff Trivia” Night at SF’s Willkommen Beer Garden (Every Wednesday)  FREE
8:00 pm   $2 Taco Night + Happy Hour Comedy at Skylark (SF)  FREE*
*RSVP Required. 2 drink minimum. 21+
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