America’s Teaching Zoo will be holding its annual Halloween-themed gathering, Boo at the Zoo, for all kids and adults interested in celebrating holiday festivities.
This event will be held Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They will have games, face-painting, not-so-spooky decorations throughout the zoo, scary animals and a combination costume contest as well as a parade at 3:00 p.m.
There will be scary animal shows and trick or treating. Each child in costume will receive a zoo bingo card upon entry. The bingo game will act like a scavenger hunt; when all squares are filled, children can head to the kids’ fun zone and receive a bag of treats filled with candy and stickers. Prizes will also be given out for the costume contest.
The Teaching Zoo’s Mara Rodriguez feels that some animals get a “bad rap,” so they wanted to show that these animals aren’t so bad.
“We call them creepy crawlers, and these are animals that we want to show to the general population for being scary or slimy,” said Mara Rodriguez, Instructional Technician for the Teaching Zoo. “It’s those animals we’ll bring out to teach people different things about animals.
“We’re going to have snakes, lizards, tarantulas, and even our possum,” stated Rodriguez. “The zoo has a theme that shows a great way for us to decorate for fall in a festive way.”
They feel this will entice people to come see the zoo in a different way from other weekends of the year.
“It’s a little bit of a novelty to see shows and the decorations that students of the (Exotic Animal Training and Management) program put on for the public,” stated Rodriguez.
The students will be working through the weekend and upcoming week to put up lots of decorations, and they’ll even have a contest among themselves.
There is a long history of hosting a Halloween-themed event at the Teaching Zoo.
“We have done this since the early nineties,” said Rodriguez. “It’s something fun for the students, staff, and public to witness what we’re participating in.
“We’re also different from trick-or-treating at the Oaks Mall, in that this is a unique experience in a supreme way because it allows children of all ages to enjoy an outdoor environment where they can learn about the animals and play,” said Rodriguez
Entry fee for the Teaching Zoo is $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 3-12. Children less than 2 years of age are free. Contact the Zoo at 805-378-1441 for more information.
