ASHEBORO, NC - The North Carolina Zoo concludes its month-long ZooFEST 2011 on Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 29 & 30, with Boo at the Zoo, its 21st annual daytime Halloween celebration for kids of all ages.
On both Saturday and Sunday, the zoo will come alive with two magical days of family entertainment featuring games, trick-or-treating and costume contests. The two-day activity runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day in the Africa and North America plazas.
All children are encouraged to wear their Halloween best. At the Africa Amphitheater, judges will award prizes each day in three age categories for best costumes: infant through age 3, ages 4-7 and ages 8-12. Costume-contest registration begins at 1 p.m. both days, and contestants take the stage for judges at the Africa Amphitheater at 2 p.m.
Adult costumes, adult masks or adult face painting are not allowed inside the park.
Additional entertainment will include guessing the weight of a pumpkin and kids' face painting, along with African storyteller Fred Motley, Rick Hubbard's Kazoobie Show and Magic by Chaz. Radio Disney will entertain with a booth in the North America Plaza from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day. Also this year, Music Emporium will feature drum circles and crafts.
This will also be the last weekend for visitors to see the park's white alligators, which have been on exhibit at the zoo since April. These rare alligators have been on loan from the St. Augustine (FL) Alligator Farm and will return to their Florida location at the end of October.
All the weekend fun is included in the regular zoo admission of $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (62+) and $8 for children (ages 2-12).
ZooFest 2011 is made possible through signature event sponsor Coca-Cola, who also provides the trick-or-treat bags.
The zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Dee Freeman, Secretary; Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor.
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