Trick-or-treat with lots of new additions at this year’s ZooBoo

This paid event listing is sponsored by the Great Plains Zoo.

There will be more than twice as many businesses at this year ZooBoo – which means more candy, decorations and costumes for visitors to take in at the popular annual event.

This year’s ZooBoo will run Friday through Sunday at the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History.

More than 30 businesses of all sizes are participating. Each business decorates and hands out candy at its own table.

“People love this event because of the community involvement. So many businesses and organizations participate,” said Denise DePaolo, the zoo’s public relations and engagement director.

“It’s so fun to see all of the costumes and decorations – plus, it’s a fun environment to see all of our favorite animal friends.”

New this year, businesses will compete in a decorating contest with several categories, and guests will have a chance to vote for the People’s Choice Award.

“We are also turning our focus to sustainability,” DePaolo said. “We are using as many of our existing decorations as possible, repairing and improving rather than replacing where we can — for example, our extinct species graveyard. We are also looking at more sustainable options as we do replace and bolster our collection, including buying many variations of solar string lights to illuminate the zoo on Friday night.”

Festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a trick-or-treat trail that will follow paths along the south end of the zoo, plus another group near the new black bear exhibit.

Then on Saturday, a special hour at 9 a.m. is reserved for families that need a slightly quieter, less-intense atmosphere.

“We will have the carousel running with no music, and we’ll wait until 10 a.m. to turn on bubble and fog machines,” DePaolo said.

“As always, we will have KultureCity kits available, which include headphones and fidget toys. We encourage families to download the KultureCity app ahead of their visit. It includes a social story that will show them around the zoo and help prepare them for their visit.”

Throughout ZooBoo, guests can explore the zoo while they trick-or-treat and check out hundreds of carved and painted pumpkins.

The Creepy Carousel and Trick-or-Treat Train rides also are specially decorated for the event.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind:

In order for everyone to have a safe, fun experience, the zoo has the following costume guidelines:

• Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be offensive or violent in nature.
• Costumes may not contain any sharp or jutting objects that could harm other guests.
• Adults may wear costumes, but we ask that they be family-friendly.
• The zoo reserves the right to ask adults to remove costume masks.

All candy distributed at ZooBoo is palm oil sustainable! Palm oil, which is grown in tropical rainforests, is an ingredient in many types of candy. The uncontrolled clearing of rainforests for palm oil plantations has led to widespread loss of habitats for endangered species, including orangutans and siamang gibbons.

“We are asking that only sustainable palm oil-friendly candy be handed out at the event,” DePaolo said. “Most major candy companies now adhere to these standards, but those that don’t are contributing to habitat destruction for species like the orangutan.”

Click here to learn more about ZooBoo and reserve your tickets!