Colorful panda-shaped lanterns in front of brightly colored lit-up pink and blue flowers
The 2022 Asian Lantern Festival at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring

The spectacular lights of the Asian Lantern Festival have returned for the second year in a row, bringing over 50 towering handcrafted sculptures to the pathways of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. This year’s all-new display highlights Asian culture and history while showcasing endangered and extinct animals, including lanterns as tall as 30 feet high and 100 feet long. Pittsburgh City Paper intern Rayni Shiring captured scenes from the family-friendly event, which is open select evenings through Oct. 30.

A huge showcase of colorful lanterns
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
A large colorful lantern shaped like a dragon
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
A child touches a blue fish-shaped lantern that rests above a lily-pad shaped lantern
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
An adult and a child stand in front of large lit-up flower-shaped lanterns
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
A walkway with brightly colored flower- and leaf-shaped lanterns on the sides of the path and overhead
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
Three children play inside the mouth of an oversized dinosaur-shaped lantern
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
A hand with painted fingernails reaches out to touch the fringe at the bottom of an Asian lantern
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
A child reaches out to touch a row of lit-up red and gold lanterns
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
A woman raises her hands in the air to take a close-up cell phone photo of Asian lanterns hanging overhead
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring
An adult holds a toddler in front of a large star-shaped lantern that looks like fireworks
Credit: CP Photo: Rayni Shiring

This article appears in Aug 10-16, 2022.