Boo at the Zoo to-do has fun, frights for all ages

Zombies are about to join the penguins, tigers and capybaras at the Little Rock Zoo. And these new temporary residents can mean only one thing: it’s time for Boo at the Zoo.

“It’s a lot like a festival,” says the zoo’s general manager, Susan Altrui. “It’s a lot like the fair. Activities around every corner. Really, it’s a kind of pick-your-own adventure.”

That could mean meeting some nocturnal animals in the Creature Feature pro- gram or jumping in bounce houses or playing carnival games.

This year, the zoo is bringing back last year’s popular Zombie Paintball attraction, with actors dressed in special suits serving as undead walking targets.

The festival may be 26 years old, but it refuses to get stale. Every year, it gets a face lift. The Halloween-theme photo settings around the park are redesigned. The Haunted House and Haunted Train get new themes and new thrills every year.

When one hears about colorful, elaborate, twinkling light displays, thoughts generally turn to Christmas. But the zoo has been gradually working to carve a niche in the illuminated design world for Halloween.

“We wanted to make Boo at the Zoo a Halloween light show,” Altrui says. “We’ve really focused on adding more lights each year and also doing different stylized things with lights.”

So, even regular Boo at the Zoo attendees will see something different: more trees and structures wrapped in lights, more special effects.

Of course, the regular music, carnival rides and games will all be there too.

Boo at the Zoo kicks off with Adult Night on Friday, when the regular Boo activities are given a more grown-up theme, with adult beverages and music performances geared to the more mature audiences.

Tickets to Boo at the Zoo include a wristband and 10 tickets. Zombie paintball, trick-or-treating, s’mores and the carnival games with prizes all require tickets but everything else is included in admission. Additional tickets can be bought for 50 cents each.

Altrui has a few suggestions for families planning to make Boo part of their Halloween activities this year:

■ Buy your ticket online in advance.

“The line at our pre-sale entrance tends to go faster. So if you want quicker entry, we encourage people to buy their tickets ahead of time.”

■ Take your own bag or bucket. There are trick-or-treat stations throughout the

zoo during the celebration, but the zoo is making an effort to be more environmentally friendly.

“That’s something we’re urging because it’s reusable and recyclable so we don’t have to use plastic bags anymore.”

There will be reusable bags for sale at the zoo.

■ Take a mini-flashlight. “The event is well-lit but we do have to keep some areas darker to showcase some of the LED lights that we have.”

Since this is a Halloween party, costumes are encouraged for all ages, although they’re certainly not required.

Special to the Democrat-Gazette/LAUREN MCCULLOUGH New lights, new thrills and a few zombies will make for creepy fun at the Little Rock Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo event.