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CONTACT: Rod Hackney FOR RELEASE: October 11, 2000 Telephone: 336-879-7204
N.C. Zoo Issues Call For Little Ghosts And Goblins

ASHEBORO—The North Carolina Zoo is issuing a call for little ghosts and goblins, young witches and warlocks, adolescent bats, cats and creepy crawlies, or any other diminutive creatures of the night. The approach of Halloween means the zoo trails will once again be haunted with costumed kids for the annual celebration of “Boo at the Zoo.”

The zoo’s daytime Halloween carnival is set for October 28-29 and features music, game booths, a Sunday costume contest, face painting, magicians, clowns, musicians and other entertainment. Most of the activities and entertainment will be centered in the zoo’s North American and Junction plazas as well as the Hardee’s Touch and Learn Center (TLC) and will continue from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

Carnival games set up in the zoo’s North American Plaza will allow kids to win prizes by tossing balls, picking up plastic ducks, flipping rubber frogs, guessing the weight of a giant pumpkin or other activities.

Among the featured performers scheduled for the event are Rick “Kazoobie” Hubbard and his “All Kids Kazoo Band,” Calvin and Molly Anne the Clowns, Chaz the Magician, the Sons of Steel band, and the Healing Force, an African dance and storytelling group. A “Kids Karaoke” program in which children can become performers will be held in the TLC from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday and noon - 3 p.m. on Sunday. Durham’s Scrap Exchange will also be in the TLC on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3p.m., providing scrap materials for children to create costumes, animal characters or anything else they can imagine.

A new activity for “Boo” this year will be interactive play stations provided by Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Children can try their hands at baseball fast pitch, a slap shot interactive hockey pod, a basketball shoot or a bungee cord run in the parking area adjacent to the North American entrance.

Kids who attend “Boo” are also encouraged to come in costume and participate in the zoo’s costume contest and parade hosted by Rick “Kazoobie” Hubbard and set for Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Junction Plaza. Registration for the costume contest starts at 12:30 p.m.

All “Boo at the Zoo” events and entertainment are free with regular zoo admission of $8 for adults and $5 for children 2-12 and senior citizens. Boo is presented with support from the N.C. Zoological Society, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Papa John’s Pizza, Wendy’s Restaurants, Lowe’s Foods and Days Inn. For more information, call 1-800-488-0444, or visit the zoo’s Web site at www.nczoo.org.

The zoo is located on Zoo Parkway (N.C. 159) six miles southeast of Asheboro off U.S. 220 and U.S. 64. Operating hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily through October 31. Winter operating hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily become effective November 1 and continue through March 31. The zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bill Holman, Secretary.

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