Little Rock Zoo Welcomes Families for Annual Daytime Celebration
Families looking to celebrate Halloween outdoors can head to the Little Rock Zoo on Saturday, Oct. 31, for its annual daytime holiday event, KATV reported. Running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the daytime program features character visits, costume contests, and specialized animal encounters included with regular admission.
Joy Matlock, the zoo’s marketing and development director, explained that the event serves a dual purpose for the community. Beyond offering a safe holiday gathering space, the programming aims to educate visitors about animals frequently linked to the spooky season and clarify their actual roles in the local ecosystem, according to KATV.
“We want people to come out and have a great time at the zoo because it is a family gathering space,” Matlock told the station.
Activities, Costume Contests, and Access Costs
The daytime schedule kicks off early, with visiting cartoon and storybook characters from Happily Ever After greeting guests in the plaza from 10 a.m. to noon for meet-and-greets and photos.
For visitors dressing up for the holiday, costume contests are slated for 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Civitan Pavilion. Participants can walk the “Scaredy Cat Carpet” to display their outfits and compete for prizes. Both children and adults are welcome to wear costumes, though adults must keep their faces uncovered—face masks are prohibited—and all attendees are asked to avoid outfits featuring offensive names or language.
Daytime admission is priced at $12.95 for adults and $9.95 for children ages 3 and older. To expand accessibility, the zoo offers reduced admission of $2 per ticket alongside free parking for visitors presenting a SNAP or EBT card.
Transitioning to Evening Lanterns
As the daytime event wraps up, the zoo closes its gates at 4 p.m. before reopening an hour later for GloWild, a separate nighttime lantern festival requiring its own ticket purchase for guests ages 3 and older.
According to Matlock, this year marks the opening weekend for GloWild, arriving earlier in the season than in prior years when the nighttime display typically launched during the first week of November. The evening event features large-scale lantern displays, live music, tarot card readings, and food options such as nachos and corn dogs.
