San Francisco families, get those costumes ready: Boo at the Zoo is back at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens on Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it is one of the Bay Area’s most beloved family Halloween traditions. All of the day’s Boo activities are free with paid daytime admission or a Zoo membership.
The fun starts with a festive Costume Parade at 11 a.m., followed by a costume contest at noon with prizes in four categories: Toddler, Family or Group, Animal, and Judge’s Favorite. All around the grounds, kids can collect sweets at the trick-or-treat candy booth, make a custom craft to take home, dance at the DJ dance party, and enjoy face painting, caricatures, Halloween-themed food and drinks, and a Spooky Selfie Station.
The animals get to celebrate too. Throughout the day, keepers will present special pumpkin treats and enrichment, starting with meerkats and wolverine playtime at 10:15 a.m., then black rhino, African lions and fosa at 10:30, snow leopards at 10:45, giraffes at noon, lemurs at 1 p.m., and an orangutan talk about sustainable palm oil candy at 2 p.m. Families can also stop by the Creepy Conservation table to see real animal biofacts like skulls and bones up close. One kind request from the Zoo: please skip full-face masks, which can startle the animals. Happy City News recommends arriving early, picking your favorite animal treat time, and making a full happy Halloween day of it by the ocean.
Photo: San Francisco Zoo & Gardens
