Alamogordo's annual Zoo Boo Halloween bash set for Oct. 20
ALAMOGORDO – Ghouls, ghosts, robots, monsters and cartoon characters will descend on Alameda Park Zoo for Alamogordo's annual Zoo Boo Saturday, Oct. 20.
The free trick-or-treating event is between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Zoo Boo will feature more than 50 local community businesses and organizations giving out candy, prizes or refreshments to the attendees, said Alamogordo's Special Events Manager Kerry Uribe.
“There will a line for trick or treaters to get candy, a dance performance, vendors with interactive activities, including the New Mexico Museum of Space History, which has an alien autopsy,” Uribe said.
Last year’s event brought in more than 4,000 people, she said.
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The Zoo Boo’s famed costume contest is set to begin at 11 a.m. The costume contest is broken down into four age groups - 0-3, 4-7, 8-12 and Family, and each age category has three prize categories of scariest, cutest and most original. First, second and third place winners in each category will receive a prize, Uribe said.
Registration for the contest is still open to interested monsters, who can register in person at the Sgt. Willie Estrada Memorial Civic Center, 800 E. First St., online at www.active.com, or by calling 575-439-4279 until Friday, Oct. 19. Registration is free to the public.
In order to participate in the Family category, a theme must be provided and there must be at least two members of the family involved in the theme, she noted.
“The 0-3 age group costumes are adorable, especially when families go for the scariest three year old,” Uribe said. “And there are the classics – there are always little baby Supermans, and there’s always good old Star Wars.”
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The entry point for this year’s event will be moved to the main zoo entrance near the gift shop, Uribe said, and the exit point is the North Gate located near the Chamber of Commerce. Parking will be north of the Zoo. The 2018 Zoo Boo is on zoo grounds, so absolutely no pets are allowed.
While last year’s Zoo Boo was followed by an adult-oriented Zoo Broo event, this year’s Zoo Broo was replaced by the Masquerade Murder Mystery dinner, which took place on Oct. 13, Uribe said.
“It got too dark last year during Zoo Broo," she said. "We didn’t want things to get too scary.”
For more information, contact Kerry Uribe at 575-439-4279 or email Uribe at kuribe@ci.alamogordo.nm.us.
Halloween Treats and Costume Tips: