Toledo Zoo offers fun fall activities for children and adults
Written by Duane Ramsey | | news@toledofreepress.comThe Toledo Zoo has a host of special events for the fall season.
The zoo begins its celebration with a Halloween Vineyard Adventure for adults Oct. 18, featuring wines from around the world and tasty appetizers with a spooky twist.
Adults are encouraged to dress for the costume contest, and the evening’s lineup includes live entertainment, tarot card readings and an astrologer to predict the future.
The vineyard adventure begins with wine-tasting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and a cash bar from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations are required and tickets must be purchased in advance at a cost of $35 for zoo members and $40 for nonmembers.
Little Boo at the Zoo, a Halloween celebration for little ones not yet in school and too young to enjoy the Pumpkin Path, will take place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Broadway Pavilion and Main Plaza.
The Pumpkin Path offers a safe alternative to trick-or-treating for school-aged children 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 and 26. It will include trick-or-treat stations, games and magicians performing tricks at a cost of $4 for members and $10 for nonmembers.
Children are encouraged to wear their favorite Halloween costumes to those events.
Trick-or-treat stations, games and Fisher-Price’s giant play area are included at a cost of $4 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the events.
Another event has been added to the fall calendar on Oct. 31 when pumpkins will be fed as treats to some of the animals.
“It’s considered an enrichment for the animals that they get once a year as a treat,” said Wayne Carpenter, associate curator for large mammals. “The biggest pumpkins we can get go to the elephants. The monkeys and polar bears really enjoy eating them.”
Senior Discovery Days will continue in October with seniors receiving free admission and parking in the Anthony Wayne lot each Tuesday, and free coffee and a mini-muffin on weekdays at the Timberline Bakery.
Each Tuesday, a special program will be featured for seniors visiting the zoo.
“Swingmania” returns Oct. 7 with big band music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Nairobi Pavilion.
Free health screenings will be offered on Oct. 14, 21 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Arctic Encounter.
Toledo Lucas County Health Department’s 60-Plus Program will provide blood pressure screenings, and Harborside Healthcare of Sylvania will offer blood sugar screenings and other health information on those dates.
A guided tour of the Museum of Science and Amphitheatre will be Oct. 14. A tour of the renovated Aviary on Oct. 21 will feature walk-through habitats of the African Grasslands, Sonoran Desert and Australian Outback. Reservations are required for each tour by calling The Toledo Zoo at (419) 385-5721, Ext. 2110.
Fall and winter hours have begun at the zoo, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through April 30.
The zoo’s annual family tradition, Lights Before Christmas, begins Nov. 21 and runs through New Year’s Eve. The zoo-wide exhibit includes more than a million lights with 200-lighted animals and dancing lights.
A special New Year’s celebration for children will be hosted Dec. 31, featuring a variety of kid-friendly activities and treats. For more information, visit www.toledozoo.org.
