Everything you need to know about the 27th Annual River of Lights Holiday lighting display in Albuquerque, and a few things you don’t need to know.
Each December, the ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque lights up with its nationally recognized outdoor lighting display known as the River of Lights. While some people think that walking around at night in the winter is about as appealing as dental work, over 125,000 people disagreed last winter. What’s the attraction? Here’s everything you need to know, and a few things you don’t need to know, about the Albuquerque River of Lights this holiday season.
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What is the River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark?
The New Mexico BioPark Society launched its first River of Lights in 1997, so 2024 marks its 27th year of this holiday favorite. The River of Lights was created as a way to raise funds for the ABQ BioPark and establish a new holiday tradition for residents and visitors. In its first year, the River of Lights consisted of 30 rented light displays that were viewed by roughly 32,000 visitors. I’m guessing the displays were pretty lame by today’s standards, but I haven’t seen photos so I could be wrong.
Over the years, the River of Lights has grown to become New Mexico’s largest walk-through holiday attraction. In case you’re wondering what other holiday lights attractions we have in the Land of Enchantment, Albuquerque has a fun Twinkle Light Parade (featuring lit up cars on a one mile stretch of Route 66), and New Mexico features some amazing luminaria displays in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and probably other towns too. Perhaps I’ll cover those topics next year. But for now, let’s get back to the River of Lights.
Today, the River of Lights includes over 800 lighted sculptures and displays, using millions of twinkle lights. It’s an impressive sight. It’s also proved to be a great fundraiser for the ABQ BioPark. The event attracts over 125,000 visitors and raises more than $1 million for the ABQ BioPark, making it the top fundraising event of the year.
For anyone with experience hanging up lights for the Holidays, you can imagine that stringing up 800+ lighted sculptures with millions of twinkle lights is not something you knock out over the course of an evening with a pitcher of strong eggnog. There are three staff members that work on the sculptures full-time, year-round, and I’m pretty sure they’re sober for most, if not all, of that time. Their job is to create new sculptures and enhance old sculptures to make them even better over time. Each sculpture starts out as a concept or small toy before it’s transformed into the final sculpture that you see on the grounds at the River of Lights.
To put it mildly, lots of rope lights are required to light up the 800+ sculptures. If the rope lights were lined up end-to-end, you would experience over 200 miles of twinkle lights. That’s enough lights to line the highway from Albuquerque to the Colorado or Arizona border. To attach the myriad of rope lights to the sculptures, staff members require over 100,000 zip ties to get the job done. Apparently, these three staff members don’t suffer from arthritis … yet. The setup also requires 12 miles of extension cords to power up all of the sculptures.
The size of the sculptures varies, ranging from the smallest 1-foot flower to the largest 30-foot Brachiosaurus. It took staff about 6 hours to make the flower and nearly 600 hours to make the Brachiosaurus. To get it all done on time, staff and volunteers start setting up sculptures in the botanical garden in mid-September. In the off-season, the sculptures are stored in two large warehouses and four storage containers.
It clearly takes a lot of hard work to prepare for this event each year, but the River of Lights team has been recognized nationally for its efforts. The River of Lights has placed in the USA Today list of Top Ten “Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights” in the United States for the past four years. The ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden also made Fodor’s list of 12 best botanical gardens in the nation in 2023.
Event Dates and Location for the 27th Annual River of Lights in Albuquerque
Event dates for the 2024 River of Lights
This year, the River of Lights takes place from November 30th through December 30th, with the exception of December 24th and 25th. The River of Lights is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
There will also be “Low Sensory Evenings” on January 2nd and 3rd for individuals who have sensory sensitivities, such as those with autism. These Low Sensory nights will reduce or eliminate strobe effects, flashing, movement, blinking, and music for those who are susceptible to sensory overload.
Where does the River of Lights take place within the ABQ BioPark?
I wince whenever people ask me where the ABQ BioPark is located as I know that it’s going to take some time to explain. Navigating the ABQ BioPark can be confusing because there are four parts to it: the zoo, the aquarium, the botanic garden, and Tingley Beach. The botanic garden and aquarium are located in the same place, but that still leaves visitors with three addresses to choose from when trying to figure out where the “ABQ BioPark” is located:
- Zoo: 903 10th St. SW, Albuquerque
- Botanic Garden & Aquarium: 2601 Central Ave. NW, Albuquerque
- Tingley Beach: 1800 Tingley Drive SW, Albuquerque
The River of Lights is located in the Botanic Garden (2601 Central Ave NW). However, to add to the confusion, there’s a free Park & Ride at the zoo (903 10th Street NW). The Park and Ride is a good option if the botanic garden parking lot is full, which often happens if you’re arriving later in the evening. Finally, to ensure that your head explodes, there’s also an option to park at Tingley Beach if you sign up for the “Santa’s Magical Experience” VIP option. More about that later.
So, let’s keep it simple. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get to the Botanic Garden. If the parking lot is full when you arrive at the botanic garden, or if you know in advance that it’s going to be a busy night, then a great option is to drive five minutes to park at the zoo and take the free Park & Ride to and from the River of Lights.
There’s no need to pay money to park in any private parking lot or take your chances parking your car on neighborhood streets. While I love Albuquerque and I think most people in Albuquerque are awesome, I should point out that a popular hobby in Albuquerque is to break into vehicles and/or steal them. In fact, Albuquerque boasts one of the highest motor vehicle theft rates in the United States, at around three times the national average. Hey, we all need to be good at something. Sometimes we’ll just take the car for a joyride, and sometimes we’ll drive it across the Mexico border for resale. It’s our way of offsetting our poor education and academic performance rankings. You might be smarter than us, but we’ll steal your car.
The moral of the story is, park your car in the parking lot at the zoo or botanic garden when attending the River of Lights. It’s free, it’s safe, and there are enough spaces to accommodate the volume of visitors each night.
Logistics of going to the River of Lights
The logistics of attending the River of Lights is best viewed on the River of Lights website, as the details vary from year to year. But rather than dodge this topic completely, here are some helpful tips based on my experience of attending the event for the past few years.
First, the River of Lights is considered to be an all-weather event, so it doesn’t get canceled unless there are “extreme weather conditions”. Albuquerque typically has a low bar when it comes to the definition of “extreme weather conditions”, particularly if you’re from other parts of the country that truly have extreme winter weather. Regardless, you’ll want to layer up and bring a hat and gloves as it typically gets in the 20s and 30s at night in December. At the very least, your gloves will make it easier to hold a cup of hot chocolate without burning your hand.
Another important thing to know is that the River of Lights is a “timed ticketing” event. It used to be a free-for-all madhouse. But thanks in large part to the days of COVID, you must now select an available timeslot when purchasing a ticket. This is a good thing, since it creates a better experience, unless you enjoy fighting for parking spots and walking among hordes of people. The important thing to know about timed ticketing is that you’ll actually need to show up on time. Yes, I know. This is New Mexico, not the Shinkansen (high-speed rail) of Japan that has an average delay of less than 60 seconds. Even though it’s New Mexico, I’m told that if you show up after your ticketed timeslot, you could be turned away. To twist the knife, no refunds are given for late entries or missed visits since the River of Lights is considered to be a fundraiser. Note that the timed ticket only applies to the time you enter the River of Lights. The earliest timeslot entry is 5pm and the last timeslot entry is at 9pm. Once you’re in, you can stay as long as you like, until it closes at 10pm.
Word to the wise: you may want to avoid purchasing your tickets from third parties as there have been some issues in the past with people selling fake tickets. You’ll want to purchase official River of Lights tickets from the official website.
If you’re antisocial like me, you’ll probably want to go on a weekday (Monday – Thursday) earlier in the season (early December) to minimize the number of people who will be at the River of Lights with you. The closer you get to Christmas, the more likely the event will be sold out. As a reminder, the River of Lights runs from November 30 – December 30th, although it’s closed on December 24th and 25th.
No pets are allowed unless it’s an official service animal.
The regular price of admission for the River of Lights this year (2024) is the following:
- Monday – Thursday, adults are $15, children aged 3-12 are $8, and children aged 2 and under are free.
- Friday – Sunday, adults are $19, children aged 3-12 are $9, and children aged 2 and under are free.
Full disclosure, I’m also a Docent at the ABQ BioPark Zoo, so I’m able to attend free of charge during a volunteer thank you night … one of the perks of being a volunteer at the ABQ BioPark. The ABQ BioPark is a great place to be a volunteer.
Note that if the event hasn’t sold out on a particular evening, and there are at least 200 tickets available, then tickets will be sold that evening at the Aquarium ticket booth, located next to the botanic garden entrance. Otherwise, there are no walk-up ticket sales available. You can also try to order tickets on your phone from the entrance if you are nimble with your phone and lucky on your timing.
This year (2024), you’ll have the option to purchase a new Flex Ticket ($28 for adults 13+ and $19 for youth aged 3-12), which includes timed entry with the flexibility to exchange your ticket for another day and time (up to two scheduled exchanges only), as long as those nights or time slots aren’t already sold out. Requests to exchange tickets on the same date but different time slots must be made 48 hours in advance. Another caveat is that you can’t make changes to same night tickets – you would have to reschedule to another ticket date. See the River of Lights website for more ticket information.
River of Lights Extra Events
Santa’s Magical Experience
If you want the VIP treatment, you can sign up for the “Santa’s Magical Experience” option that begins at Tingley Beach, where you’ll have a chance to meet Santa and the elves. You’ll also get to enjoy a build-your own s’mores station along with hot chocolate prepared by elves. Next, an elf will read a holiday story. Then, it’s the big event. Santa appears, ready to listen to your holiday wish list as an elf snaps a photo. Every child gets a winter-themed stuffed plush animal, and every parent gets a happier child.
After the festivities, you’ll hop on an open-air shuttle to the River of Lights entrance, where Santa will personally escort you to the front of the line before turning you loose to enjoy the River of Lights. There are anywhere from 1 – 3 Santa’s Magical Experience timeslots per night, depending on the date / day of the week. The price is $30 for children and adults 3 or over. Toddlers 2 and under are $18. There are no refunds if you can’t attend. Note that Santa’s Magical Experience only takes place from December 2nd – December 23rd.
Elf Workshop Experience
If creating handcrafted memories is your thing, then the Elf Workshop Experience is a great option. You can choose to “Paint Your Own Nutcracker”, “Paint-a-Pot” or create “Holiday Evergreen Swag”. Separate ticketing is required for each of these activities, and they will take place at the Aquarium/Garden Education Building on select nights. Each of these activities cost $60 and you must be 18 years old or older to attend.
If you’re bummed that you can’t bring your kids to the Elf Workshop Experience, rest assured that there are FREE Holiday craft making activities at the River of Lights on Wednesday evenings (December 4, 11, and 18) from 5pm – 8pm. Depending on the evening, these could include making a clothespin reindeer, construction paper poinsettias, construction paper star fox, craft stick snowflakes, greeting cards with negative space cutouts, handprint cardinal, paper plate polar bears, pine cone trees, pipe cleaner/bead candy canes, cardboard roll snowmen, and/or coloring and word search sheets.
River of Lights Proposal Package
If you REALLY want to go big, as in proposing marriage to your partner, then you can choose a “River of Lights Proposal Package”. This package includes the placement of a 7-foot tall “Will You Marry Me?” light sculpture at the location of your choice. Then, when the time is right, the light will be flipped on by a staff member when you give the nod. I’m assuming you meet with the staff member in advance to agree on an appropriate “green light” signal to avoid an awkward moment. For that matter, it might be a good idea to agree on a “cut bait” signal if things aren’t going as planned and the proposal is better left for another day. The cost for this experience is $250 … chump change compared to what you’ll likely be paying for your wedding. There are quite a few spots at the River of Lights that seem like good candidates for popping that life-changing question.
So, what’s it really like to attend the River of Lights?
I’ve been to the River of Lights quite a few times over the 20+ years that I’ve lived in New Mexico, both as a visitor and as a volunteer. Each time I’ve decided to attend, I haven’t regretted my decision. Granted, I walk through the exhibits at relatively high speed, but I still can’t resist snapping lots of photos along the way.
As you can imagine, the River of Lights is a great place to bring your kids. Then again, it probably depends on your kids. Regardless, virtually everyone I see at the River of Lights seems happy to be there … adults and kids alike.
Once you enter the River of Lights, you’ll walk along a 1.6-mile path that weaves its way through many parts of the Botanic Garden. You’ll go through the Spanish-Moorish Garden, the Festival Green, the Heritage Farm, and the Japanese Garden before making your way back to the entrance. There are opportunities to turn around if the distance is too long or you want to avoid areas with an uneven / unpaved path.
Nearly all the River of Lights exhibits are outdoors. In the past, one small part of the Mediterranean Conservatory was open during the River of Lights, but that will not be the case in 2024. The indoor exhibits are off limits because plants in those areas don’t respond well to the cold weather that comes in from repeatedly opening and closing the door. However, there’s one indoor exhibit in 2024 that’s open with a new twist: The Desert Conservatory, featuring a “Dark Side of the Desert Laser Show”. As a Pink Floyd fan, I enjoyed it.
Sample of the Dark Side of the Desert Laser show in the Desert Conservatory.
You don’t have to walk the full loop if 1.6 miles sounds a bit daunting, but you might miss out on the Japanese Garden and an alien abduction of a cow.
Here’s a video of the cow abduction from 2022:
In 2024, the screen has been replaced with an alien cow abduction that’s done solely with lights (see photo below).
You can never go wrong with an alien cow abduction in New Mexico. It’s a favorite part of the River of Lights experience for fans of UFOs and aliens. It makes me feel nostalgic for the Roswell UFO Festival.
Well, I think that gives you a taste of what to expect if you decide to attend the River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark, so I’ll leave it at that!
New displays and attractions at the River of Lights in 2024
A common question that’s asked by visitors each year is, “what’s new this year at the River of Lights?” There are always a few new sights each year. Here’s the list of the new displays and sculptures at the 27th Annual River of Lights (2024):
- A few new baby pigs at the farm.
- Flying flamingos above the hippo pond.
- Cherry blossom installation at the Woodland Transition Garden.
- The Children’s Fantasy Garden will be closed.
- The Mediterranean Conservatory will be closed.
- Synchronized orb field beyond the Japanese Garden dock.
- Laser show in the Desert Conservatory.
- New Origami crane at the Japanese Flat Gardens. On a side, note if you like origami, then you might be interested in this blog post about Origami in the Garden, or if you’re into cranes (like me), then you might want to check out this post about the Festival of Cranes.
- The first ever opening of the Sasebo Japanese Garden for River of Lights that features a different approach to their sculptures:
- Kadomatsu: These decorations (usually 1-2 feet tall) are traditionally set at the gates of a household during the new year season to bless the occupants with strength and longevity (represented by the pine), flexibility and fortune (bamboo), and perseverance (plum).
- Take Akari: This is a new lighting scheme called Take Akari, or traditional bamboo lanterns. “Take”, means bamboo, and “Akari”, means light. Communities in Japan collect bamboo and drill thousands of holes in distinctive patterns to represent elements such as air, water, and light. The intention is to connect “people with people, people with towns, and reunite people with nature.”
Conclusion
Well, there you have it! Hopefully that gets you in the holiday spirit and gives you a good idea of what to expect at one of Albuquerque’s best annual events, the River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark. I’ll be volunteering a few nights this year, so perhaps I’ll see you there!
Thought for the Week
This week, I’m sharing an obscure, but interesting quote to ponder from Mary Browne, an American professional tennis player who played in the 1920’s. You can tell this to your kids if they roll their eyes when you tell them you’re taking them to the River of Lights this year.
“Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom.”
— Mary Browne
Let’s choose to seek wisdom.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Mark (New Mexico Travel Guy)
Mark Aspelin, The New Mexico Travel Guy (www.newmexicotravelguy.com), is a travel writer and author of two books who has enjoyed a wide variety of adventures in his travels to over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. States. His current project involves visiting EVERY town in his home state of New Mexico (there’s over 500 towns) and writing a story about each one. When not traveling, Mark lives as a recluse in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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