The Santa Fe Teaching Zoo hosted its 28th annual “Boo at the Zoo” on Thursday, a Halloween event where students turn the 10-acre zoo into a whimsical realm for families to trick-or-treat.
To enter the zoo, located at 3000 NW 83rd St., guests had to bring a canned good or non-perishable food item in lieu of the standard admission fee. The items collected support two charities: Saint’s Food Share at Santa Fe College and Catholic Charities.
“I think the community really understands the value this event has because we do support food banks in our area,” said Jade Woodling, conservation and education curator at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. “Also, you can't always be sure if a Halloween event you're going to is going to be scary or feel safe for your young children.”
The event originated from an idea by Santa Fe students in the zoo animal technology program nearly 30 years ago. The goal was to create a fun, family-friendly event that gives back to the community. Now, about 5,000 people visit the zoo during its annual Halloween celebration, according to Woodland.
Children and parents arrived in costume, whether as a group or in separate outfits. Groups of princesses, superheroes, pirates, cartoon characters and inflatable dinosaurs toured the zoo’s exotic animal collection.
But event-goers weren’t the only ones dressed up. Santa Fe students in the zoo animal technology program traded their khakis and tools for costumes and props.
“They are the ones who come up with the themed areas,” said Woodling. “They do all the designing of the sets and areas that you walk through.”
Despite working around two hurricanes this semester, the students developed eight themes for guests to explore. Themes included the Wild West, Attack of the Sirens, Area 51, “Alice in Wonderland,” “Up,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Myth of the Sword in the Stone” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Students don’t just dress as characters; they become them. Upon entering the zoo, trick-or-treaters were greeted by Vikings from the Isle of Berk, the land from “How to Train Your Dragon.” As visitors explored more of the zoo, they encountered members of the FBI, pirates and the Mad Hatter.
Paige Hidalgo, a Santa Fe student dressed as an FBI agent, handed out candy to families in the Area 51-themed area.
“My favorite part about this is that when you’re in an area that’s so themed, you can absolutely turn into somebody else,” Hidalgo said. “When you can act around kids, they’ll get into it if you’re into it.”
Throughout the zoo, guests interacted with the Santa Fe students and observed animals such as otters, lemurs and monkeys. While they couldn’t touch the animals, watching them throughout the zoo added an element of awe, especially for the children.
Jasmin and Dan Faron took their two daughters to Boo at the Zoo. This is their third year attending the event, but only the second time for their youngest.
“It’s excellent,” Jasmin said as her husband nodded in agreement. “We just love coming.”
The Santa Fe Teaching Zoo’s regular hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, but for Halloween, the zoo is closed during the day to set up for the event.
Julia Sweet, 23, who began her first semester at Santa Fe after graduating from the University of Florida, said there is a lot of preparation during the day for the event.
“We do all of the work,” she said. “We hang up all of the lights. We set up all of the props. We set up all of the lines out here. We make sure that the road is swept so that there’s not as many pine needles to prevent slipping.”
Some students work outside the themed areas, including Sweet, who mended a voting booth outside the zoo for guests to choose their favorite theme. Others collect donations and direct patrons toward the entrance.
Guests could also help themselves to one of the five food trucks at the event, which was open from 3 to 7 p.m. Danscompany of Gainesville provided performances for guests, including a performance to “Thriller.”
When patrons exit the zoo, they arrive at a ‘fun zone,’ where more candy is distributed by various organizations. The presenting sponsor, Studio 32 Orthodontics, set up a tent giving away candy and toothbrushes.
“They’re [Studio 32 Orthodontics] huge members of this community, and they do a lot for the community,” Woodling said. “It makes sense that they would be our presenting sponsor, especially because they work with a lot of children.”
Ava Szychalski, the treatment coordinator at Studio 32 Orthodontics, said Halloween is the time for candy—but recommends children brush well afterward.
“It’s just a really great time,” Szychalski said, dressed up as Embarrassment from the movie “Inside Out 2.” “Lots of extra smiles, too.”
