Light displays / California / Glowfari
Glowfari
Walk-through light display at Oakland Zoo, Oakland, California
- 2026 dates
- November 6, 2026 to January 31, 2027
- Open days
- Closed Nov 9, 10, 16, 17, 26; Dec 24 and 25; Jan 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26
- Hours
- Entry times 4:30pm-6:30pm; entrances close 7:30pm; everyone out by 9pm
- How you see it
- Walk-through
- Price
- Timed tickets. Timed tickets for a set date, non-refundable and not transferable to another date; each date goes on sale online at 9am exactly 28 days before; plan-ahead pricing, so buying earlier costs less (prices not printed on the page); members 10% off; parking included
- Christmas Eve and Day
- Closed Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day
- Accessibility
- Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be rented at the gift shop; cart tours not available during the event
- Address
- 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605
What stands out
- Lantern festival through the zoo, with the gondola festively lit up to California Trail
- Santa in the rides area nightly Nov 20 to Dec 23
- Rides area and train open 5pm-9pm
- Re-entry allowed until 8:30pm with a hand stamp
- Parking is included with Glowfari admission; every lot is in use, so you may be sent to the lower or main entrance
- The zoo's animals are in their indoor areas and not on view during Glowfari
- Daytime zoo tickets are not valid for Glowfari, and daytime guests are cleared before it opens
Note: Tickets for each night go on sale online at 9am exactly 28 days before (for example, tickets for November 28 go on sale November 1). Outdoor event in winter weather; if it is canceled, the zoo emails ticket holders, refunds them and posts the closure by 3pm. The zoo notes the lights can affect guests who are sensitive to light or prone to seizures.
Source
Everything above comes from oaklandzoo.org, checked October 23, 2026. Confirm on the official site before you go; light shows can close for weather or sell out on busy nights.
Dates, hours and prices come from the source named on this page and can change, and some sites still show last season's details. Check with the organizer before you go. How we check
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us. We check every change on the official site before we update this page.
Other light displays in California
- Candy Cane Lane, Woodland Hills: 2026 dates not announced
- Christmas Tree Lane, Altadena: 2026 dates not announced
- Enchant Christmas Los Angeles, Arcadia: Nov 20 to Dec 27, 2026
- Enchanted: Forest of Light, La Cañada Flintridge: Nov 22, 2026 to Jan 9, 2027
- Griffith Park Holiday Lights Train Ride, Los Angeles: 2026 dates not announced
- Irvine Park Railroad Christmas Train and Santa's Village, Orange: Nov 27 to Dec 23, 2026
Comparing zoos? Every zoo lights show on our list, with 2026 dates and ticket types.
Also in California: 8 Christmas markets and 8 tree farms.
