More than 6,000 costumed kids and their families are expected at the Santa Barbara Zoo’s annual Boo at the Zoo, Oct. 18-20, where traffic-free and safe trick-or-treating, costumed characters, entertainment, creepy-crawler encounters, and Halloween activities await revelers.
Boo at the Zoo will be held 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18; 4:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19; and 4:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20.
Inclusive tickets now on sale are good for one night at the event and activities. Tickets do not include parking, food, drinks or Zoo Gift Store purchases. Tickets are $20 for adults ($17 for zoo members), $14 for children ages 2-12 ($12 for zoo members). Tickets are on sale online at www.sbzoo.org/boo-zoo and at the zoo’s front gate.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. For visitors’ safety, no attendee over age 12 with masks or painted faces will be permitted into the zoo, and no realistic weapons are allowed except for those used by zoo performers.
For the three days of Boo at the Zoo, general admission ticket sales at the zoo end at 2:30 p.m.; Member admissions end at 3 p.m.; and the zoo closes at 3:30 p.m.
During the event, kids can trick-or-treat throughout the zoo at more than 30 treat tables hosted by community organizations and businesses. Candy being handed out is either palm oil-free or contains sustainably produced palm oil.
Deforestation due to palm oil farming now threatens natural habitats of Asian elephants, orangutans, and other endangered species, and is expanding. Guides for buying sustainable palm oil candy are available at the event and at www.sbzoo.org/boo-zoo.
Some 70 volunteers will be professionally costumed and made up as monsters, pirates, princesses, ghouls, tigers, fairies, zombies, and vampires. They will be stationed at such goulish locations as a haunted cemetery, mad-scientist’s lab, pirate ship, haunted campground, Jurassic park, royal princess photo opp, and in the Scare Zone.
Kids can also enjoy visits from the zoo’s puppets and creepy crawly residents, a stilt walker costumed as a monarch butterfly, and members of the Southern California 501st Legion dressed as characters from the movies set in “a universe far, far away.” Aerial performers CirqAire perform on silks all three nights.
In addition to trick or treating and entertainment, the following activities are included in admission tickets: Dance Party with live DJ Hecktik, bounce house section, two mazes, interactive activities, ride-on animal scooters, Scare Zone (for kids ages 10 and older), rock-climbing wall, spooky storytelling with Mother Goose, and Boo Choo-Choo train rides.
The Buzz, the zoo’s new coffee and cocktail cart, will be open during Boo at the Zoo, serving rainforest-friendly coffee and lattes, plus smoothies, specialty cocktails, and craft beer. The Ridley-Tree House and the Wave restaurants are also open.
Community partners hosting trick-or-treat tables include: Alaska Airlines, California Learning Center Santa Barbara, Charleston Shoe Company, Dancekids, ExxonMobile, Fish Window Cleaning, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, GoGlamBling-Paparazzi Consultant, Hillside House, Ice in Paradise, Islands Restaurants, Knox School of Santa Barbara, Kyle’s Kitchen, Master Clean USA.
Metropolitan Theatres, Montecito Bank & Trust, Montessori Center School, Motel 6, New York Life, Northside Optimist Club of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Dental Hygienists’ Association, Santa Barbara Family & Life Magazine, Santa Barbara MTD, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, Santa Barbara Tutoring, LLC.
SEE – Santa Barbara Vision Care, ShineUP, Stardust Sportfishing, Sunny Smiles Dentistry for Children and Young Adults, Trinity Preschool, Valhalla Martial Arts, Kickboxing & Fitness, Zodo’s Bowling & Beyond.
Boo at the Zoo sponsors include ExxonMobil, Alaska Airlines and VNA Health.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres of botanic gardens and is home to nearly 500 individual animals. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Visit www.sbzoo.org.
— Julia McHugh for Santa Barbara Zoo.