Ton Of Food Collected At Essex Holiday Lights Spectacular

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced Wednesday that more than one ton of non-perishable food items had been collected during the first weekend of the 4th Annual Essex County Holiday Lights Spectacular at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo.

Admission to the event is free, but visitors are being asked to donate non-perishable food items to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and new, unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots program.

"We are offering free admission to the Holiday Lights Spectacular this year as a way to give back to our residents and make the event available to everyone. In return, we asked our visitors to bring non-perishable food items and toys to help make the holidays brighter for those in need," DiVincenzo said. "I am so pleased and overwhelmed with the large amount of food and toys that were donated by our visitors. These donations show the generous spirit and caring that exists in our community and will make a difference in the lives who are helped."

During the first three days of the winter event, from Friday, November 26 to Sunday, November 28, a total of 2,105 pounds of food, which is more than one ton, and 175 new toys were donated. Attendance for the three days was 5,592. 

The Essex County Holiday Lights Spectacular continues as follows:

Dates:           Friday, Saturday, Sunday, December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12

                        Daily, December 17 to January 2

Times:           5 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night

Place:            Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex

                        Essex County Turtle Back Zoo

                        560 Northfield Avenue

                        West Orange, NJ

The Holiday Lights Spectacular will be closed on December 24 and 25.

About 40 animal and holiday-themed figures are lighting up the winter night in Turtle Back Zoo and the surrounding Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. Over 100,000 lights are illuminating figures of bears, tigers and elephants, along with holiday lights designed to look like wooden soldiers, stars and winter scenes. Several animal exhibits are open, including the Essex Farm, Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve, Tropical Currents Aquarium and the Reptile Building. Myrtle the Turtle, the mascot of Turtle Back Zoo, and several of his winter friends are on hand to greet visitors at the Zoo.