Photo of Tai Shan, courtesy the National Zoo.

The National Zoo had to temporarily shut down their December ZooLights events due to Saturday’s snowstorm, but tonight they’re resuming their regular schedule. This is the last night you can stop by before Christmas; remaining nights run December 26 through January 2, except December 31. Wander the park to see their displays of environmentally-friendly LED lights — Pepco representatives are also on hand to talk about energy-saving techniques to use in your home. Then visit Butterstick to say your last goodbyes; the ape, reptile, and small mammal houses are also open, as well as the Kid’s Farm (which we’re pretty sure is for kids, not of them). Bring canned goods to the Panda or Great Cats shops to benefit the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization. Be sure to get some freshly made kettle corn while you’re there … mmm….kettle corn. We’re still not sure how we feel about the giant animal snow globe feature, so maybe skip that and head straight to the “dancing tree” performances at the Elephant Trial and the Bat Cave.

There are a limited number of tickets available at the gate for $8, or you can get them ahead of time at Ticketmaster with a service fee. If you have tickets from a snowed out night, the Zoo will honor them any other night.