For Release: September 28, 2011
Media only:
Jodi Legge 
(612) 670-6839
Special Events Office (202) 633-3040
Mountains of Treats and Plenty of Tricks at 13th Annual Boo at the Zoo
Celebrate a Safe and “Spook-tacular” Halloween Oct. 21-23 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Calling all area ghosts and goblins: Celebrate Halloween at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo during the 13th annual Boo at the Zoo, Oct. 21-23, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), Boo at the Zoo offers kids ages 2-12 a safe and family-friendly atmosphere to trick-or-treat, while enjoying animal demonstrations, festive fall decorations and so much more.
FONZ distributes more than 800,000 treats and 16,000 apples at 40 treat stations located throughout the Zoo during the three-day event, including candy, organic snacks, ice cream and glow-in-the-dark tattoos. For the first time, the Zoo this year will provide a complimentary reusable treat bag, both practical and Earth-friendly! FONZ will partner with the non-profit program, Green Halloween®, again this year to provide special “green” treats from Honest Kids, Larabar, Nature’s Path and Stretch Island Fruit.
“Boo has grown from a small fall fundraiser for the National Zoo to a community tradition,” said Bob Lamb, executive director of FONZ. “We’ve continued to expand every year and provide one of the safest and most ‘spook-tacular’ trick-or-treat venues in the greater metropolitan area.”
Lots of Treats, But Many Tricks Too
Trick-or-treaters can tour the “Haunted Barn” at the Kids’ Farm, or stop in the Invertebrate Exhibit to talk to one of the Zoo’s keepers and volunteers about the creepy, crawly inhabitants of the Zoo, including tarantulas, cockroaches and scorpions. Children can use their imagination to hunt for termites on Asia Trail, or make an orangutan nest at the Great Ape House.
FedEx and Safe Kids USA will provide visitors with Halloween safety tips again this year, and will hand out reflective slap-wraps. New York Life Insurance Company also continues its support of the event and its commitment to keep kids safe at the Child ID Tent, where parents can pick up an identification card, complete with their child’s photograph and fingerprints.
Tickets for Boo at the Zoo are selling quickly and can be purchased from Ticketmaster via the Zoo’s website at http://nationalzoo.si.edu/activitiesandevents/celebrations/boo. Or, to avoid paying service fees, people can get tickets daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Panda Plaza and Asia Trail gift shops. Tickets are $20 for FONZ members and $30 for nonmembers. Children under two are free. Parking passes will be sold for this event and are required to park in Zoo lots. Parking passes are $5 for FONZ members and $8 for nonmembers. A $20 premium parking pass is also available; it offers the convenience of a guaranteed, reserved spot in Parking Lot B, a free sample bag of coffee from Starbucks, and giant Halloween-themed cookies from Firehook Bakery. Note: Parking passes for Saturday are sold out. Boo at the Zoo is held rain or shine.
Proceeds from Boo at the Zoo benefit the Zoo’s conservation science and animal care programs. For more information about Boo at the Zoo, please visit: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/activitiesandevents/celebrations/boo.
Boo at the Zoo is sponsored by BIG 100.3 FM, The Coca-Cola Company, Comcast, FedEx, HOT 99.5 FM, Safe Kids USA, MARS snackfood, New York Life Insurance Company, 97.1 WASH-FM, Whitmore Group, Whole Foods Market, Washington Parent, 98.7 WMZQ and Yellowbook.
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For high-resolution photos, go to 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalzoo/tags/booatthezoo/
