Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo returns on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016.
Phoenix Zoolights features millions of lights, the annual holiday event is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Zoolights creatively displays Christmas Lights shaped as monkeys, lions, giraffes, rhinoceros and more. New displays are added each year to keep the experience fresh for visitors. Viewers of all ages will find the vast array of light displays completely engaging. Bring your family and stroll the zoo while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider. Make this a family holiday tradition.
Candy Lane features candy cane light displays and a "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" 4D Experience.
Zoolights 2016 is open from 05:30 PM to 10:30 PM nightly, from November 23rd to January 8th; Including Thanksgiving and Christmas. Members only nights are on November 21st and 22nd.
Non-peak Nights
$10.95 for members
$12.95 general admission
Peak Nights
$17.95 for members
$19.95 general admission
For a neat way to increase the fun, try Wild Eyes Animal 3D Glasses which create floating animal images on any point of light.
The Phoenix Zoo opened in 1962 and is the largest non-profit, privately owned zoo in the United States. The zoo was founded by Robert Maytag (a member of the Maytag family) and sits on 125 acres of land. Zoolights is the zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year and the proceeds go to help care for the 1400 animals that live there.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Remember the 5th of November - Guy Fawkes day
Remember, Remember the 5th of November
The History & Significance of Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) 🎆🔥
"Remember, remember the 5th of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot."
Each year, on November 5th, the UK and other parts of the world celebrate Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night) with fireworks, bonfires, and the burning of Guy Fawkes effigies. But how did this tradition begin, and what’s the real story behind the Gunpowder Plot of 1605?
This guide explores the history, significance, and modern traditions of Guy Fawkes Night while uncovering the true story of Guy Fawkes and the failed attempt to assassinate King James I.
📜 The Gunpowder Plot: A Failed Assassination Attempt
👑 King James I & Religious Tensions
When King James I took the throne on July 25, 1603, English Catholics hoped for religious tolerance after facing decades of persecution under Queen Elizabeth I. However, James refused to ease restrictions, leading to growing unrest.
💣 The Conspiracy – A Plan to Destroy Parliament
A group of 14 English Catholic conspirators, led by Robert Catesby, plotted to assassinate the king by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening of Parliament. The goal was to replace James I with his Catholic daughter, Princess Elizabeth.
📩 The Anonymous Letter That Exposed the Plot
The plan began to unravel when an anonymous letter was sent to William Parker, Lord Monteagle, warning him to avoid Parliament on November 5th. Historians speculate that Francis Tresham, one of the conspirators, may have written the letter.
🔎 The Capture of Guy Fawkes – November 5, 1605
As a result of the letter, authorities searched Westminster Palace in the early hours of November 5, 1605. They found Guy Fawkes guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder hidden beneath the House of Lords.
🚨 What happened to the conspirators?
- Guy Fawkes was tortured for days before confessing to the plot.
- The conspirators were captured, tried for treason, and sentenced to death.
- Guy Fawkes avoided a gruesome execution by jumping from the gallows and breaking his neck. His body was still quartered, and his head placed on a spike at London Bridge.
🔥 The Birth of Bonfire Night – Why Do We Celebrate Guy Fawkes Day?
When news of the failed Gunpowder Plot spread, Londoners lit bonfires to celebrate King James I’s survival. The tradition continued every year, and in 1606, the government passed the Observance of 5th November Act, officially declaring November 5th as a day of national thanksgiving.
🎆 How Guy Fawkes Night Is Celebrated Today
Bonfire Night is still widely celebrated across the UK with:
✔️ Fireworks displays symbolizing the gunpowder that never exploded.
✔️ Bonfires lit in town squares and gardens.
✔️ Burning of Guy Fawkes effigies as a symbolic execution.
✔️ Traditional foods like toffee apples, parkin cake, and roasted chestnuts.
🚨 Fun Fact: In Lewes, England, Bonfire Night is one of the largest fire festivals in the world, featuring elaborate processions and flaming torches.
🎠The Legacy of Guy Fawkes in Pop Culture
🕵️ The Guy Fawkes Mask & V for Vendetta
The iconic Guy Fawkes mask, popularized by Alan Moore’s graphic novel and the 2005 movie V for Vendetta, has become a symbol of rebellion and resistance. The mask is often associated with Anonymous, the Occupy Movement, and other activist groups.
📺 Guy Fawkes in Film & Literature
- 🎬 V for Vendetta (2005) – A dystopian film where the protagonist wears a Guy Fawkes mask to fight tyranny.
- 📖 Gunpowder (BBC, 2017) – A dramatized retelling of the Gunpowder Plot starring Kit Harington.
- 🎮 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – References to Guy Fawkes and medieval England’s political struggles.
🚨 Did You Know? The phrase "Penny for the Guy" comes from an old tradition where children would collect money to buy fireworks by displaying homemade Guy Fawkes effigies.
📌 Final Thoughts – Why Guy Fawkes Night Still Matters
Though over 400 years have passed, the legacy of the Gunpowder Plot and Guy Fawkes Night continues to influence British culture, politics, and activism. Whether you see Guy Fawkes as a villain or a symbol of resistance, his story remains one of the most famous failed assassination attempts in history.
🔥 Will you be celebrating Bonfire Night this year? Let us know in the comments! 🎆🔥
Monday, October 31, 2016
Krampus is coming to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights
Universal Studios Hollywood 2016 Halloween Horror Nights - Krampus
You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I'm telling you why: Krampus is coming to town!Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights collaborated closely with 'Legendary Pictures' and filmmaker Michael Dougherty to bring you a terrifying Krampus encounter. This Halloween Horror Nights Maze is inspired by the 2015 film and brings a Dark Christmas themed scare.
Krampus (Released December 2015) was rated PG-13, ran 1 hour and 38 minutes and was a mix of Comedy, Fantasy and Horror. The plot revolves around a young boy's dysfunctional family over the Christmas holiday. Young Max (Emjay Anthony) becomes disillusioned and his lack of festive holiday spirit unleashes the wrath of Krampus. Christmas holiday icons take on a monstrous life and lay siege to the fractured family's home, forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.
Most everyone knows the story of Santa Claus and how he brings toys to good little children on Christmas Eve. What is lesser known is what happens to the naughty children who don't make Santa's list. Who visits them on Christmas Eve? What "gifts" are brought to them?
The Krampus Halloween Horror Nights Maze at Universal Studios Hollywood takes an Old World Christmas legend based on the 2015 hit film and shows you what happens when you make the naughty list. Krampus and his nasty little helpers have come to terrorize those who lost the Christmas spirit.
It will be a lesson you will never forget, if you can survive it.
Review
Like the 2015 Dark Christmas Halloween Horror Night Scare Zone, Krampus adds a fun and interesting twist to the normally jolly holiday.As you approach the Krampus haunted house/maze, you find yourself entering the Engel family home decorated with Christmas lights, icicles, and the foreboding effigy of Krampus standing on the rooftop. A frozen mailman walks back and forth in front of the house giving you a photo op before you enter.
The maze takes place inside a version of the Engel house and yard, with smells of pumpkin spice and pine throughout the maze adding to the effect. Fog is a common element in many of Krampus’ scenes, add that to the dark nature of some scenes and you have practically zero visibility, a frightrning effect as you anticipate what will happen next. The foreboding atmosphere can, at times, be even scarier than seeing the monster jump out.
This honestly was our favorite haunted house and we went twice. The maze does well in replicating scenes from the movie and you won't always find a scare, but the detail is wonderful. So many of Krampus’ minions are present, including the evil gingerbread horde, as well as the man eating jack-in-the-box with a have eaten woman reaching for your help.
Like The Exorcist Maze, there is heavy use of animatronics, puppets and props throughout Krampus, transforming the well know Christmas season into a twisted and corrupt versions. A definite highlight is the attic scene with the Christmas tree angel. Along with props, live actors also appear throughout the experience, though sometimes predictable, not always.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Zombie Invasion at West Wind's Glendale Drive-In
Zombies are coming to the West Wind's Glendale Drive In Movie Theater
Saturday; October 22, 2016
Gates will open at 6:00 PM and the movies start at 7:30 pm.
The Glendale Drive In Theater is holding its first annual Zombie Fest with a great line up of zombie movies picked by our customers. The Zombie Theatrical Line Up will include: Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and Dawn of the Dead.
Arrive early so you can get your face painted to look like a Zombie.
Visit West Wind Drive-In and Public Market (Glendale, AZ) on Facebook for News and Deals!
About West Wind
Family owned and operated company that opened their first drive-in theater in 1952 and now own and operate the largest drive-in theater chain in the world with four in California, one in Arizona and two in Nevada.
No longer is the experience dim screens and “squawk boxes” that hang on your car door as they invested in audio that plays to your car stereo and some of the largest digital projectors available with a crystal-clear digital image on screens larger than ones you’ll find in walk-in theaters.
See first run movies at the same time as indoor theaters.
Grab a bite from the snack bar and enjoy a Nathan’s Famous all-beef hot dogs and complete line of Pepsi products, even fresh baked pizza at some locations.
Let the kids play between double features at the playground or arcade.
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