Nashville Christmas Event Canceled After Chinese Workers Denied Visa
Summary
The Nashville Zoo canceled its annual Zoolumination festival for the 2026-27 season because Chinese artisans who build the lantern displays were denied visas to enter the United States. The zoo will instead hold a new holiday event called Glow Wild with different illuminated attractions.Key Facts
- The Zoolumination festival is the nation's largest lantern festival and started at Nashville Zoo in 2019.
- Chinese artisans from Zigong, China, build the festival’s handmade silk lanterns each year.
- Visa applications for these artisans were denied, preventing them from traveling to Tennessee.
- The zoo and its partner, InLight Festival Group, could not find another way to hold the event without these artists.
- Similar visa issues caused the cancellation of a lantern festival in Des Moines earlier this year.
- The zoo announced a new event, Glow Wild, to replace Zoolumination with illuminated wildlife displays and a large Christmas tree.
- Visa denials align with stricter visa policies during President Donald Trump’s administration.
- The zoo did not disclose the number of artisans affected or the visa types involved.
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