[Columbia, SC] - Lions and tigers and goblins, oh my! All costumed kids are invited to Riverbanks’ fifth annual Boo at the Zoo for a fun, family alternative to neighborhood trick-or-treating on the nights leading up to Halloween. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden kicks off this year’s festivities tonight and will run three straight weekends from 6 to 9pm. “This year’s Boo at the Zoo is filled with even more fun things to see and do,”  said Dusty Broadway, events manager at Riverbanks. “The event has become a family tradition, so our staff strives to keep the Boo attractions that draw kids back year after year as well as to introduce new activities that provide fresh experiences each year.” In preparation for the thousands of kids that will enter through the familiar BatZ and BonZ Halloween castle at the front of the Zoo, nearly 200,000 pieces of candy have been delivered for the three-weekend run. Attractions include a trick-or-treat trail complete with 20 miniature houses, a haunted carousel, Boo’s Bat Cave, marshmallow roasting pit and a 3-D movie: Fun House Express. Back by popular demand, Frankenstein’s Foam Zone releases 500 cubic feet of foam per minute, providing kids the opportunity to frolic in a sea of suds. Little ghouls and bat boys will be thrilled to return to the Mummy’s Eeky-Freaky DJ Dance Party and to take a walk on the wild side again at the Vortex Spinning Light Tunnel. In addition to the returning favorite Boo attractions, this year offers some frightfully fun new activities. Kids can venture inside a pirate-themed hay maze, and search for the missing treasure chest as they wind and weave their way through nearly 350 bales of hay decorated with skulls and bones. If that’s not spooky enough, take a moonlight stroll on the new Wicked Wooded Walk. The haunted trail is lined with tombstones and creepy skeletons, witches, spiders and more. For your convenience, Riverbanks offers print-at-home eTickets for Boo at the Zoo. Click on the eTickets store icon on the Riverbanks homepage to purchase your tickets online. Purchasing and printing your tickets at home will expedite entry into the event by allowing your family to bypass the ticket line. Some activities require additional Safari Bucks that can be purchased throughout the Zoo. These activities include: the Haunted Carousel, Marshmallow Roasting Pit and the 3-D Halloween movie Fun House Express. Boo at the Zoo tickets can also be purchased in person at the gate. Tickets are $5 for Riverbanks members and $7 for the general public. Kids and adults are the same price, but children who are under age 3 and do not trick-or-treat are free. Parents can help kids prepare for a good time by leaving their homemade trick-or-treat bags at home. Each paying child will receive a Boo bag – the Zoo’s official candy-collecting bag. The Zoo will “Boo” October 12-14, 19-21 and 26-30 from 6 to 9 pm each evening.
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