Cosley Zoo celebrates Festival of Lights

A winter night is usually a quiet time at Cosley Zoo in Wheaton, a time when the bobcats and the coyote, the white-tailed deer and the red fox, can relax in the chilly darkness.

There's still time for that, of course, but the early evening hours through the end of December are anything but quiet at the 5-acre facility that's home to farm animals and critters native to Illinois.

Because while the animals are still a key attraction, the 34th annual Festival of Lights transforms the zoo into something of a winter wonderland, complete with 20,000 lights that create all kinds of displays along with a selection of Christmas trees that are available for purchase along with hot chocolate and holiday gifts.

When the festival started, zoo Director Sue Wahlgren said Monday, "we never anticipated ... what a really impactful family tradition this has become for a lot of people."

"I love seeing the families come and really enjoy making memories and having the zoo be a part of it," she said.

The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day - except Christmas and New Year's Day - and the lights come on at 3 p.m. All proceeds help support the zoo and its animals.