River Of Lights

May I start with this is an amazing annual event. We just happened to be in Albuquerque over Christmas as my wife's Dad was in the VA Hospital.As I was watching the local news this event was mentioned. I told my wife about it and next thing you know, we had tickets. We needed a good distraction. We have been to Zoolights in Phoenix and it was nice. However, this is Zoolights on steroids 5X over.The park is broken down into themed segments. For example, Alison in Wonderland, Bugs, African Plaines, and many more! It is like somebody squeezed Christmas at the Princess and Zoolights together and made a super baby light walk.There were holiday drinks throughout, firepits, Waffle Fries smothered in brisket and green chili's . Yum!!!Parking can be a little cumbersome. Ride the shuttle if you can. The nights can sell out quick prior to the holiday. Jump on your tickets. Amazing photo opportunities abound. Super event for the kids! The model train set-up is so cool. You could just watch that and drink Hot Cocoa. It made our season brighter for sure! It run through the month of December.#irishcatv2

Wow this is the best nighttime botanical garden light display I have even seen!!!! Worth the drive from Dallas to see it 100%!We wanted to come last year, but our plans got derailed. This year we were able to make the trip to ABQ, with this event as the centerpiece of the trip. We had considered talking the free ART (Albuquerque Rapid Transit) bus to the Botanical Garden, but decided instead to drive to the free park-and-ride by the zoo, and take buses run by the Botanical Garden instead. That worked really well - there were plenty of buses, loading on and off was very efficient, and we didn't have to wait at all. We bought tickets online - price was $20 per person, which we think was well worth the price. The event hours are 5pm-10pm. We had tickets for 8pm, but were allowed in at 730pm. Entry is carefully controlled by counting people as they go in and out to avoid overcrowding, reduce pedestrian traffic congestion, and ensure everyone has a nice time. The one-way route through the gardens was well marked and easy to follow. Inside the gardens there were multiple places to buy snacks, hot chocolate, soft drinks, and alcoholic drinks - some stalls served beer and wine only, but others nearby had a full bar with popular cocktails. The star of the show were the light displays - so many amazing light sculptures and installations to see in themed areas. There is something here for everyone - our personal faves were the calm and elegant lights in the Japanese Garden, the animatronic dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park area, and the Albuquerque area featuring the local desert creatures. Some light sculptures seemed to move - we loved the inchworm walking down a branch, the frogs jumping into a pond, and the butterfly release - all rendered in lights.5 amazing holiday event stars

Visiting the River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden was an absolutely delightful experience! This enchanting holiday light show is perfect for a fun and enjoyable walk with family and friends. Preparation is KeyBefore heading out, make sure to come prepared with a warm jacket, gloves, beanies, and winter clothes. The entire walk, which takes about two hours, can get quite chilly, especially as the sun sets. A Magical ExperienceAs we strolled along the 1-mile path, we were surrounded by over 700 unique hand-welded light displays and animated sculptures, creating a truly magical atmosphere. The twinkling lights and synchronized music light show added to the festive spirit, making it a memorable outing for everyone, especially our son, who had an absolute blast.Food and FunWhile they do offer food and drinks at the event, be prepared for slightly higher prices than what you might find outside. However, the experience is well worth it! One of the highlights was the area where we could roast marshmallows, adding a cozy touch to our evening. Overall, the River of Lights is a wonderful way to enjoy a peaceful gathering with loved ones while soaking in the beauty of the holiday season. If you're looking for a festive outing, I highly recommend it!

Back again for 2024*Here on a Wednesday at 5p; purchased tickets online; 56°F temperature so it was a very pleasant experience *NOT many people there during a midweek outing so there wasn't a crowd at all. I loved the "specialness" of feeling the displays were just for me*New areas were opened this year and I look forward to more for 2025

I really enjoyed this experience. I've been to other lighted botanical garden events, but this one is my favorite so far. It was exciting to round every turn to see what animal/light feature was next. It was a little tricky to in know if we saw everything, but pretty sure we did!Tips:It was cold, bring layers!Enjoy the treats, we loved the hot cider!We went on a Friday and showed up around 7:30. The line to get in took about 10 mins and while there were a lot of people, it wasn't too busy Parking was tricky, we thought we could drive in, but missed a turn and ended up parking in a neighborhood (which isn't recommended by their website) but worked for us

If you haven't stopped thru to check this out, it was awesome! We visited on opening night and it was rather busy with overflow parking. Safe and fun, family friendly evening with my brother and family from California. Everything was clean and there were lights EVERYWHERE! Second year in a row we went on opening night and it is our new Thanksgiving tradition!By the way... The green chili stew at the snackbar was DELICIOUS! Wanted something warm and tried it and was quite impressed. Of course the kids loved the hot chocolate and cup of elote!

Need to get into the Holiday Spirit? Here's a relatively inexpensive way to do it. Grab your knit cap, warm jacket and scarf and take a 1.5 mile trip around the Biopark to check out all the lights. Only $15 and free parking. Of course if you want to pay we passed 2 lots one for $15 & the other $20. No thanks - free works for us. Had tix for 5pm, traffic coming into the park wasn't bad, it kept moving. Gotta come from east of the park, no left turns. If you need to get warmed up there are plenty of places selling coffee, hot cocoa & hot cider. Plus adult beverages are available.

They did a great job this year the lights were arranged differently and the addition of the Japanese garden was amazing.

Starry Starry LightWe were fortunate enough to attend the 26th annual River of Lights holiday light display at the ABQ Biopark. This was quite simply maybe "the best" holiday lights display we've had the pleasure to attend. The Good:*Runs from the end of November to the end of December, so there's plenty of opportunities to catch the lights. *Tickets are relatively inexpensive as @$14-17/adults & children @$7-9 (lower price is M-Thu only)*1.5-miles of trails--with over 200 miles of lights--so this is a great opportunity to get some steps. *Over 800 hand-built pieces from a 1' tall flower--to an impressive 30' tall dinosaur! *Staff was welcoming and friendly--especially the bus drivers. The Meh:*There's no way to get into the venue without being bussed in, which isn't that big of a deal, but it might be a good idea to mask up. *Signage at the parking lot (near the zoo) could be a little clearer, especially for us out-of-towners The Ugly:*I felt like having a churro while we checked out the lights, and after paying $6 for one, I literally took one bite, spit it right out, and chucked the rest in the garbage. It was easily the most disgusting thing I've eaten in a long while. They should be ashamed of themselves, especially in New Mexico, where they should know better. TLDR: Fantastic holiday light show that should be a yearly must-see event if you're a local or visiting ABQ during the holidays.

OH, what a magnificent spectacle the River of Lights is!There are holiday light celebrations all over the place. Some you drive through, some you walk through. On a recent visit to our best friends in Albuquerque we decided to vis the River of Lights and it was SPEC-TAC-U-LAR!The ABQ Biopark is divided into various themed areas with hundreds of thousands of millions of light sculptures telling various stories. From ants to butterflies to a big-ass spider to large, jungle-dwelling felines to dinosaurs, the entirety of the Biosphere is illuminated in a bright, glorious, colourful fashion.While it's obviously a Christmas thing it's not all about Christmas. There's a pirate ship, there's a dragon, there are dinosaurs (did I mention the dinosaurs?), there's a vast miniature train layout, and the list goes on. Holiday music fills the air as you make your way through.There are restroom facilities available throughout the exhibit (some heated, some not), a gift shop, a few places to get hot cocoa or, if you prefer, some cocoa with *something extra", and some light snacks available for purchase.It took us about an hour-and-a-half to tour the entire thing and it was magical. This was probably my favorite Christmas experience this year and I hope to be able to do it again the next time we visit.