The animals at Tucson's Reid Park Zoo are treated to a nightly show during the month of December. For two hours just after sunset, twinkling lights and live music and visitors of all ages join the elephants and tigers and giraffes for a night under the desert stars that the zoo calls "Zoo Lights."
We walked through the zoo on Friday night with hundreds of others who were enjoying the cool night air, the music of the Tucson High School Steel Drum Band (actually, two of their five bands played), popcorn and hot chocolate, and thousands of sparkling, colorful outdoor lights that outlined the walkways, fences and trees.
The high school steel drum players danced and twirled and beat their drums in an exciting display of outdoor percussion sound. The students exchanged places between songs, moving from one set of drums to another with not a shred of music in sight. Their director moved among them, joining their animated showmanship and entertaining high stick choreography. The band showed exciting musical talent. The audience loved the rhythmic, exuberant music.
From the roar of the tiger (who was separated from his mate -- it's that time of the year) to the parades of little kids with glow sticks to the magical outdoor sound of the steel drum band, Zoo Lights is an evening to enjoy in Tucson.
Copyright 2011
Wanda Hayes Eichler
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