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”Being able to share Reindeer Run Now, family members anticipate the Reindeer Run every
year and have collections of souvenir hats—a brightly colored
with our now blended family has been hat in a different color is given to runners each year.
In 2023, CJ Robinson and his family celebrated with more
something we look forward to.” than hats: They showed up dressed as holiday characters.
Kelly Albright, member since 2008 “We’ve attended the last two years after a tragic event in our
lives brought us all together,” Robinson wrote. “The lights
After experiencing such important milestones at the Zoo, are something we have always enjoyed.” The family even
many couples come again and again. Sarah Gabor’s first date ended the evening with a conga line.
with her high school sweetheart, Cody, was at the Zoo. During
Holiday Magic in 2017, he asked her to marry him in the Giant ”Christmas lights are important to me
Orb light dome. Soon Sarah and Cody, who became members
in 2020, will be back at the Zoo with their first baby, a little boy because they are a sign of happiness.”
due in January. Emily Nagy, member since 2008
“All we keep talking about is how excited we are to bring him
to the Zoo with a little zookeeper outfit on. He’s going to have For many like Robinson’s family, Holiday Magic brings
a safari nursery!” Gabor wrote. hope in a season that isn’t always easy. Emily Nagy was
They aren’t the only ones bringing new family members to excited to enjoy the Zoo during a snowy December night
the Zoo. Each year, families reunite, create new traditions, and with her boyfriend.
find common ground among the Zoo’s historical exhibits and “Living in the Midwest, you are never guaranteed a white
thrilling attractions, which will include the Anniversary Ferris Christmas. But you can always count on the holiday lights
Wheel this year. As Holiday Magic evolves and grows brighter to brighten up the Earth during such a dark time of the year,”
over the years, so do the families who have attended again Nagy wrote. And at the Zoo, she was delighted to find the
and again. lights she loves shaped into all kinds of different animals.
Kelly Albright and her 7-year-old son loved the Reindeer “Christmas lights are important to me because they are a sign
Run in 2018—her son’s first run! The Reindeer Run is a unique of happiness.”
chance for visitors to see the lights of Holiday Magic before Presented by
the event has begun.
“It’s a fun kickoff for the holiday. The music and food
and hot chocolate definitely get us in the spirit of the season,”
Albright wrote. “The first year, just my son and I ran the race, Presenting Sponsor of Giant Tree
but since then, I have remarried. Being able to share it with our
now blended family has been something we look forward to.”

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