photo provided by Akron-Summit County Public Library/ Summit Memory
When his sleigh was out of commission, Santa took the Metro RTA! In the late ‘80s, Saint Nick suited up and boarded a bus, bound for the Akron Zoological Park’s Holiday Lights event. This crowd-pleasing annual celebration began around 1987 — illuminating the zoo with twinkling lights and festive decorations. Santa was often present to greet guests with his jolly smile. Today, patrons can experience the same magical fete under a different name. The Akron Zoo’s Wild Lights event — which debuted in 2016 — glows on select dates through Dec. 30. Wild Lights guests can marvel at the zoo’s scenery — aglow with over 1 million dazzling lights, including those shaped like animals, as well as light shows synchronized to music — sip hot cocoa, meet Santa Claus himself through Dec. 23 and snicker at the Grinch’s mischief through Dec. 29.
