Saginaw’s Zoo Boo is a roaring good time

By Courtney Elisech

SAGINAW – From Oct. 8 to Oct. 23, the Saginaw Children’s Zoo hosted its twenty-fifth annual Zoo Boo. Visitors from near and far joined in the festivities that included animal interactions, shows, and candy galore.  

Speaking with officials from the Saginaw Zoo, the Collegiate learned that this year’s Zoo Boo was a huge success.  

“The weather was better than we could have imagined, which led to a great turnout. A little over 9,000 guests joined us between the three weekends. Their support means a lot to us and helps us get through the offseason and into the spring when we reopen,” said Dylan Hellus, the zoo’s Operations Manager. “We hope that everyone had as much fun as we did, and we are already looking forward to Zoo Boo 2023.”  

Rachel Westphal was among the visitors during the last weekend of Zoo Boo. She brought her two-year-old son David Freddie Allish, Freddie for short. They go to the event every year.

Freddie’s favorite thing was the games tent, where he got to throw a ball and knock over pins. He also loved exploring and seeing the costumes people wore to the event. He recognized Mrs. Incredible from the movies.

Westphal was happy with how her son enjoyed his time and explained that they try and attend many events to help with development and social skills. Freddie learned how to put candy into his bag this year.

This year the Zoo offered new games and activities where the kids could win prizes. One of the prizes was a Zoo coloring book.

The Saginaw Zoo will be back open with all the animals ready for visitors in the spring, usually in April.