Kent County Administrator's Digest - August 19, 2024

More than 175,000 people experienced the magical, immersive Grand Rapids Lantern Festival at John Ball Zoo this year, shattering the previous year's attendance record during its three-month run.

This one-mile tour through John Ball Zoo was illuminated by dozens of handmade lanterns, telling the intersecting story of wildlife and Asian culture. It also featured a lineup of entertainment like acrobatics, artistic hula hooping and more.

The lanterns came from Tianyu Arts & Culture, a leading Chinese lantern festival producer that promotes conservation and sustainability through its festivals. The Grand Rapids Lantern Festival had the most attendance for a lantern festival than any other partner, according to Tianyu.

The festival brought visitors from across Michigan, as well as around the United States and Canada, contributing to John Ball Zoo's more than $100 million annual net economic impact on its community. Guests learned about the conservation of wildlife and wild places while immersed in amazing illuminations throughout the Zoo, and it was another great year of this community favorite.