For safety reasons, ZooFiesta is canceled for 2020. We look forward to seeing you next year.
Kick off the Smithsonian-wide Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at “ZooFiesta: Un día de diversión animal para toda la familia,” a free event.
Come together with your family and friends to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a fun-filled day of live music, activities and animal demonstrations. Learn about animals native to Latin America and conservation efforts in the region, and discover how Smithsonian scientists work to protect species and habitats worldwide!
Animal Demonstration Schedule
10:30 a.m.
- Clouded Leopard Cub Keeper Talk | Asia Trail
- Farm Fish Feeding | Kids' Farm
- Meet an Armadillo | Small Mammal House
11 a.m.
- Andean Bear Keeper Chat| Andean bear yard, between Amazonia and American Trail
- Elephant Keeper Chat | Elephant Outpost
- Amazonian Fish Feeding (bilingual)* | Amazonia
- Giant Panda Keeper Talk | Giant Panda House, indoors
- Kids' Farm Keeper Chat | Kids’ Farm
- Meet a Reptile or Amphibian | Reptile Discovery Center
11:15 a.m.
- Pinniped Feeding | American Trail, seal or sea lion exhibit
11:30 a.m.
- Big Cat Keeper Chat | Great Cats Circle, between the two yards to the right of the Carousel
- Maned Wolf Keeper Chat | Cheetah Conservation Station
- Small Mammal Enrichment | Small Mammal House
12 p.m.
- Reptile Volunteer Chat | Reptile Discovery Center
1 p.m.
- Gorilla Keeper Chat (bilingual)* | Great Ape House
- Maned Wolf Keeper Chat | Cheetah Conservation Station
1:30 p.m.
- Big Cat Keeper Chat | Great Cats Circle, directly behind Carousel
- Giant Panda Enrichment | Asia Trail, outdoor yards
- Keeper's Choice | American Trail (check sign by tide pool for the day's location)
- Kids' Farm Keeper Chat (bilingual)*| Kids’ Farm
2 p.m.
- Andean Bear Keeper Chat | Andean bear yard, between Amazonia and American Trail
- Meet a Mammal | Small Mammal House
- Meet a Reptile (bilingual) | Amazonia Field Station
- Meet a Zebra | Cheetah Conservation Station, Grevy's zebra exhibit
3 p.m.
- Meet a Reptile | Reptile Discovery Center
4 p.m.
- Elephant Keeper Chat | Elephant Community Center
*This demonstration will be presented in Spanish and English/Esta demonstración se ofrece en español y ingles.
Education Stations
Bird Friendly Coffee
How can the coffee you sip help protect migratory birds and other animals that share their homes? Find out as you sample delicious Bird Friendly coffee from local roasters!
Center for Conservation Genomics
Discover how Zoo scientists extract DNA and learn more about the genetics of wild animals at this station.
Corazon Latino
Corazon Latino is a nonprofit organization that fosters natural resource stewardship in the Latino community. Stop by this station to learn about ways to connect to nature every day, and make a button featuring an animal from Central or South America.
Create a Habitat with the Zoo’s Diversity Committee
Join members of the Smithsonian's National Zoo’s Diversity Committee to learn what it’s like working to save species every day. While you’re here, try your hand at designing an animal exhibit for a Central or South American species!
Latinos@NOAA
Find out how marine mammals, like walruses and whales, stay warm in chilly ocean waters. At this station, you can also learn how to stay safe during thunderstorms.
Monarch Butterfly Conservation
Discover the beauty of monarch butterflies, and learn how and why these butterflies travel thousands of miles each year. While you’re at this station, create some monarch butterfly art to take home.
Red Siskin Initiative
Scientists across the Smithsonian are working together to save the red siskin, an endangered fiery-red, seed-eating passerine bird from South America threatened by the pet trade and habitat loss. Meet some of the people studying these beautiful birds and learn about their work.
Smithsonian Endocrinology Research Lab
Meet some of the scientists working in this lab as you take part in fun, STEM-based learning opportunities featuring Cuban crocodiles and Andean bears.
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Tracking animals on land is one thing, but what about animals that live in the sea? Find out how researchers track sharks at this station.
Smithsonian Latino Center & ¡Descubra! Meet a Science Expert
Waterways are an essential part of our ecosystem. Join science expert Karina Herrera from the Environmental Protection Agency to understand how we can be better stewards to our watersheds.
Telemundo
A sponsor of the Smithsonian Latino Center’s ¡Descubra! program, stop by this station to learn about the El Poder En Ti education initiative, which champions the U.S. Latino community by providing access to educational and health resources.
U.S. Patent & Trade Office
Learn about biomimicry — how humans gain new ideas from nature as we create new products or systems — at this education station.
Live Music
11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Ocho de Bastos will perform at the Lion-Tiger Hill stage.
Noon and 2 p.m.
Nine-piece orchestra Zon Zandunga will play at the Lion-Tiger Hill stage.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Anaya Trio will perform at the Lemur Island stage.