A special Christmas display will be presented by Mississippi Aquarium this year.
Now that the pedestrian bridge over Highway 90 in Gulfport has been completed, connecting the aquarium to Jones Park, Mississippi Aquarium officials have announced plans to hold a major holiday event to complement the annual Harbor Lights exhibit.
Patrick Pearson, Mississippi Aquarium’s vice president who oversees sales and marketing operations, broke the news on The Gallo Show Thursday morning and gave an inside scoop on what’s in store for those looking to visit the Coast for the holidays.
“We decided we didn’t want to duplicate what they do at Harbor Lights. They do a great job with the Christmas displays, so we decided to do a show. What we’re going to do is a projection mapping show. It’s pretty cool technology where we’ll project on our Aquatic Wonders building,” Pearson said. “You’ll be able to watch it from anywhere on our campus.”
The aquarium hired MDSX Creative out of Orlando, Fla., the company tasked with executing the projection lighting show for Disney World’s 50th anniversary, to facilitate the displays in Gulfport. SPRK Lighting out of Kentucky was also hired to provide additional iconic displays around the aquarium’s facilities.
According to Pearson, shows will last around 10 minutes and will begin at the top of the hour each hour. Music, orbs, and light sticks will be presented around the facility to enhance what occurs on the projection screen during the shows.
Mississippi Aquarium will have the same operating hours as Harbor Lights and will hold its first animated projection show on Thanksgiving night. Officials are working with the city of Gulfport to offer a combo price for people who want to attend both Harbor Lights and the aquarium’s display.
Proceeds from the shows will go toward the aquarium’s capital campaign to build a habitat for 11 African penguins.
