For Halloween this year, CALM is preparing a “Boo at the Zoo” event that will go live later this month. According to the site, “guests of all ages are encouraged to wear costumes, visit with the animals and experience the natural gardens just as the foliage is beginning to turn.”

Admission for children ages 3-13 is $3, while admissions for adults 13 and older is $10 and seniors ages 60+ is $7. CALM members can enjoy the festivities for free.

According to the CALM website, games can be played to win prizes, special decorations will be set up, and animals will be given Jack-o-Lanterns filled with treats.

According to zoo manager of CALM Lana Fain, they “don’t like to call it a trick-or-treat event, because it’s really not.”

Fain instead said that the attending children will “go around and play games, and they’ll get candy and toys.” Fain also noted that everyone is encouraged to dress up in costumes for the event. Fain then said that “the weather is going to be perfect, and we’ll have food service [there] as well.”

When asked about the Jack-o-Lanterns that will be given to the animals, Fain stated that they are “filled with the animals’ favorite treats,” and that seeing the animals get them is “a lot of fun to watch.”

Despite the festivities, Fain noted the difficulty of putting it together, particularly when it comes to having enough candy for everyone. “We get about 4,000 kids in over the two days so it’s really helpful if people donate candy, the only thing we don’t really accept is gum,” Fain herself said that she and the staff are just as excited for the event as everyone else, saying “it’s a really fun event. I think it’s the staffs’ favorite event all year.”

The Boo at the Zoo event begins on Oct. 23 and runs through the 24th, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. on both days.

Anyone who wishes for more information can contact CALM by calling 661-872-2256, visiting their website at calmzoo.org, or checking their Facebook page.