Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

The ZooBoo parade featured families in group costumes of the Addams Family, “Up” characters — complete with the house — “The Incredibles,” the Scooby-Doo crew and a Willy Wonka-themed bunch. With October in full swing, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo buzzed with energetic kids decked out in Halloween gear every weekend.

“I love to see families really get into the season and come dressed up as a group,” Christine Omolino, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo event and volunteer coordinator, said.

Every October for the past 20 years, the zoo kicks off Halloween with its themed event, ZooBoo. Trick-or-treat stations, pumpkin scavenger hunts, costume parades and live DJs accompany the animals. This year’s festivities ran every weekend through the month of October.

Omolino and other organizers wanted to curate for children and their families. Even with the spooky Halloween theme, they wanted to make sure it was accessible to young kids.

“At one point, it took place in the evening and was more of a scary event,” Omolino said. “We’ve found it better to have the event take place during the daytime operation hours of the zoo so that more people would want to bring their younger children.”

Two kids who attended ZooBoo this year were especially excited about their costumes for the parade. Luciano Verginio dressed as Harry Potter, and his cousin, Gino Propcopio, dressed as Joker. The kids said their costumes and the festivities ZooBoo offers were a factor in their enjoyment.

Alexander Zhiltsov | Staff Photographer

Families in Halloween costumes parade around the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for ZooBoo. Kids dressed as their favorite characters from TV shows and movies.

Children at the event gleefully went around the zoo trick-or-treating. For Verginio and Propcopio, candy and treats are their favorite Halloween traditions, which made them excited for that aspect of ZooBoo.

“I wanted to come for the trick-or-treating,” Verginio said.

The trick-or-treating stations were a fan favorite for kids at ZooBoo. ZooBoo’s 10 trick-or-treat stations were scattered throughout the zoo, keeping kids hopping from one stop to the next, filling their baskets with different treats.

Each trick-or-treat station is placed in front of a different animal exhibit, leading the kids on an adventure throughout the park.

“My favorite part was the candy,” Propcopio said.

The zoo also hosts special guests throughout the years who perform and interact with attendees. This year, Omolino said the Ghostbusters of Central New York and Syracuse University mascot, Otto the Orange, made an appearance.

“The special guests are always exciting for our guests as well as all of us,” Omolino said.

During Halloween and year-round, Omolino and other organizers aim to highlight the zoo’s conservation message.

Omolino is working on educational programming around the zoo’s involvement with the Species Survival Plan programs. In keeping with the theme of Halloween, the zoo has an extinct animal graveyard — complete with headstones for those species.

In the future, Omolino plans to include some programming around this message throughout the month of October. She wants to spread awareness while engaging the youth through the fun Halloween theme.

“We are always looking for what more we can do and what our guests will enjoy,” Omolino said.

Published on October 28, 2024 at 11:05 pm