Crews begin Christmas lights installation at Phoenix Zoo

PHOENIX (FOX 10) — Crews have begun installing Christmas lights for the annual Zoo Lights display at the Phoenix Zoo.

"We start every year in July to get everything up because we have millions of lights, hundreds of armatures, and we've got to hit the ground running," said Justin Davis with the Phoenix Zoo.

It takes nearly four months to install millions of lights on every tree at the Phoenix Zoo.

As the Zoo Lights crew sets up for the most wonderful time of the year, they keep in mind the meaning these lights hold, a holiday tradition for hundreds of families in the Valley for more than 25 years.

"You see families that have been coming since the first year, and now they have grandkids and now they remember when it was just a little thing," said Davis.

This year the zoo will feature a new addition to their traditional holiday light display.

"Life-size animal lanterns that are going to be along our Africa trail, it's going to be a whole new experience for you to come see, they're going to be fun," says Davis.

The crew tells us regardless of triple-digit temperatures, stringing up the lights gets them in the holiday spirit, but the best part is the reaction from their guests.

"We will walk around and kind of listen to what people want and what they do especially the kids," explained Davis. "We do it all for the kids because they get super excited, and they know, they all know what's new, most of the parents don't know but the kids know, they'll be like, 'oh look there's my favorite thing to see'."

Zoo Lights will run at Phoenix Zoo this year from Novembers 27 through January 12.