Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Jan
09

Wolves at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Carnivores,Events,Just for Kids,Mammals,Memories


One wolf in particular.

On Sunday, January 15, the Houston Zoo is proud to partner with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and InterActive Theater Company to present two performances of the children’s classic, Peter and the Wolf. With the intent to “cultivate musical tastes in children from the first years of school,” this beloved story delights and entertains.

At this special event, a small ensemble of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra musicians will play Prokofiev’s composition while actors from the InterActive Theatre Company narrate and act out the story.

This event is included in your regular Zoo admission, and is FREE for Zoo Members. Performances will take place in the Brown Education Center Auditorium, and seating is first come, first served. This event is sponsored by The University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.

Performances are at 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

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Dec
24

We’re Closed on Christmas Day

Posted by in Christmas,Events

The Houston Zoo will be closed on Christmas Day. Keepers will work abbreviated shifts on December 25 cleaning exhibits and feeding the Zoo’s 6,000 animals. The Zoo will reopen December 26 observing the standard 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. operating hours. Christmas Day is the only day of the year the Zoo is not open to the public.  The Zoo will also close early at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, with the last guest entry at 2 p.m.

“A zoo is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week operation. We’ve arranged shifts for our keepers to ensure that all the animals will receive their regular care and feeding but still give the staff time to enjoy Christmas with their families,” said Zoo Director Rick Barongi.

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Dec
12

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Posted by in Christmas,Events,Memories

Santa will be at the Zoo December 19 – 23, from 9 a.m. – Noon each day.

And he’s making a stop at the Houston Zoo! This holiday season, meet the jolly guy himself at the Zoo’s Reflection Pool! Zoo guests will be able to chat briefly with Santa (be sure to bring your list!) and get their photo taken with him!

Santa will be at the Zoo December 19 – 23, from 9 a.m. – Noon each day. (He may need to take a couple of short breaks during this time). Bring your camera, because you won’t want to miss this chance to get that perfect photo of your family with Santa to post on Facebook, proudly display on your mantel, or add to your holiday card!

The festivities don’t end with Santa though. At 1 p.m. at the Reflection Pool each day we’ll feature holiday music, courtesy of some local talents. See below for the musical lineup.

All this, plus 6,000 animals, festive holiday decorations, and more!

These holiday activities are FREE with your paid Zoo admission or Membership.
(Note: You may choose to purchase your professional Santa photo for an additional cost).

What better way to celebrate the holidays than to spend time with family, friends, and Santa at the Houston Zoo!

All performances begin at 1 p.m. at the Reflection Pool
December 19 – The Salvation Army Harbor Light Choir
December 20 – TBD
December 21 – Mistletones Trio
December 22 – Mistletones Trio
December 23 – Mistletones Tr

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Dec
08

Snow Day at the Zoo on December 17th

Posted by in Events,Featured,Holidays

When you think of winter what do you think of? Do you think of snow? Snowmen? We do too! We can’t guarantee that it’ll snow this holiday season in Houston, so we’re taking the matter into our own hands! The Houston Zoo and Sunny 99.1 are bringing you a SNOW DAY!

On Saturday, December 17 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., the lawn next to the okapi habitat will be covered with 15,000 lbs of snow! That’s a lot of snow! You can play, build snowmen, and win prizes.  The snow fun will begin at 9 a.m. and is FREE with your paid admission or Zoo Membership. Get here early because who knows how long the snow will last in this unpredictable Houston weather.

To add to the holiday festivities, at 10 a.m. on the 17th Leah White and the Magic Mirrors will perform holiday favorites at the Zoo’s Reflection Pool. Leah White and the Magic Mirrors are winners of the 2009 Nickelodeon Parent’s Choice Award and a Zoo-favorite!

You won’t want to miss this – join us this December 17 for music, animals, and fun in the snow!

Nov
25

Amazón Grill hosts Flock, the Houston Zoo’s Young Supporters

Posted by in Events,Flock,Supporting Your Zoo

On Tuesday, November 8, a Flock of young professionals gathered at Amazón Grill for a special happy hour benefiting the Houston Zoo. Chef David Cordúa is a long time member of Flock, the Houston Zoo’s Young Supporters and serves on the advisory board. While mingling with other professionals, guests nibbled on Latin bites, sipped margaritas and enjoyed a preview of Amazón Grill’s new interior.

Flock is a group for young professionals who have a passion for wildlife, conservation and the growth of the Houston Zoo. Each year Flock hosts three cocktail parties tucked between the Zoo’s wild exhibits. These events give members the opportunity to have an up close and personal experience with the Zoo’s animal ambassadors and learn more about the conservation issues their wild counterparts face.

With an annual donation of $150, Flock members not only receive free admission to the cocktail events, but they also receive discounted tickets to Feast with the Beasts, the Zoo’s annual culinary event, opportunities for exclusive Zoo travel and many other fantastic benefits. For a complete list of benefits, please visit the Flock website.

 

Don’t miss Flock’s final event of the season on November 30 from 8:30 pm until 11:00 pm at the Houston Zoo. Flock members can come in an hour early and meet some of the Zoo’s unique animal ambassadors. This event is free but an RSVP is required. Please RSVP to flock@houstonzoo.org by November 28. We would like to thank Momentum Audi for their continued support of Flock and the Houston Zoo. Special thanks to our event sponsors Yelp, St. Arnold, and Elegant Beginnings.

To learn more about Flock or to RSVP for the upcoming event, please click here.

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Nov
02

Houston Zoo Says Bon Voyage to the World’s Cutest Animal

Posted by in Events,Featured,Mammals,Media,Memories,Zoo News

Join Toby and his keepers at the Houston Zoo on Sunday, November 6 when we bid a fond farewell to The World’s Cutest Animal with not one but two bon voyage parties at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

On March 28, 2009 the Houston Zoo introduced our members and guests to The World’s Cutest Animal – Toby, the red panda. For more than two years, Toby has lived up to his World’s Cutest Animal title and endeared himself to Zoo guests and staff alike. But the time has come for Toby to bid farewell to his adoring fans and return the place of his birth, the Cincinnati Zoo.

Join Toby and his keepers at the Houston Zoo on Sunday, November 6 when we bid a fond farewell to The World’s Cutest Animal with not one but two bon voyage parties at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Toby’s keepers will be on hand for informative and entertaining Meet the Keeper Talks and Toby will celebrate the day with some of his favorite treats. Toby’s bon voyage parties are included in your Zoo admission.

Red pandas are an endangered species and Toby is going to the Cincinnati Zoo after being recommended for breeding by the Red Panda Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Houston Zoo’s two remaining red pandas, Take and Keti have also been recommended by the Species Survival Plan for breeding.

 

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Nov
02

Feast with the Beasts (En español & In English)

Posted by in En Español,Events,Guest Blogger Series,Supporting Your Zoo

For those of you that are just now joining us, this is the third post of my blog series, written in both English and Spanish about my experience as a Marketing Intern, which I will be doing until mid-December.  CLICK HERE for the link to the entire series. 

First, the Spanish version, followed by English below…

Les estoy escribiendo por tercera vez en mi serie de blogs.  ¡Gracias por regresar! Y a los que están leyendo por primera vez: podrán leer mi serie (en español e ingles) hasta mediados de diciembre mientras hago mis practicas en el Zoológico de Houston. ¡Disfruta! Dejame tus comentarios o preguntas y compártelo a través de Facebook y Twitter.

Primeramente quisiera darle un aplauso a toda la gente que ayudo con el éxito de Zoo Boo.  A todos los empleados que planearon y trabajaron el evento y también a toda la gente que nos visito y participo en los juegos, ¡mil gracias!  Si te gustaría ver las fotos del evento visita el álbum AQUI.

Aunque ya termino Zoo Boo no quiere decir que nos podemos relajar.  En el departamento de mercadotecnia, aquí en el Zoológico de Houston, han estado preparando los detalles para el evento Feast with the Beasts.  Este evento es uno de los mas populares y los boletos se venden rápido.  Pero no te asustes con el nombre, no se tiene que compartir la cena con King Kong o Godzilla.  Es mas lo que mas da miedo es la gente que llega con un gran apetito.

Desafortunadamente, si aun no has comprado tus boletos para este evento lamento decirte que es muy tarde.  Y si te estas preguntando porque es tan popular este evento te diré que es porque con la compra de un boleto de entrada puedes probar los deliciosos antojitos de 65 restaurantes,  tomar 2 bebidas, ver presentaciones de animales, y ver el concierto de los B-52s!  Y como si eso no fuera suficiente, si compras un boleto te llenaras de gozo al saber que le ayudaste al Zoológico recaudar fondos para sus programas de conservación, educación, y cuidado de los animales.

Estoy contando los días que quedan para Feast with the Beasts y si fuiste una de las personas que alcanzo boleto entonces ¡te veo ahí!

Si quisieras mas información sobre Feast with the Beasts visita http://www.houstonzoo.org/Feast/

Y si no haz leído mi serie desde el principio no te preocupes porque están todos AQUÍ.

For those of you that have been scrolling down to find the English version, you are in the right place!!  You can read the entire series about my experience as a Marketing Intern until mid-December HERE.  Feel free to leave me any comments or questions!  I will gladly reply as soon as possible. Also, don’t forget to share this with your friends via Facebook and Twitter.

First of all I’d like to give a big round of applause to everyone that participated in Zoo Boo’s success! Whether you are someone on the staff that helped organize it or a Zoo visitor that came and enjoyed the festivities, you did a great job. If you’d like to take a look at our pictures from Zoo Boo Click HERE!

Just when we here at the Zoo thought, “Zoo Boo’s over, now we can kick back and relax (insert sigh of relief),” we get reminded that there’s yet another exciting event right around the corner! 

The Marketing Department has been simultaneously organizing Zoo Boo and Feast with the Beasts and though it’s a lot of work, they’re doing a great job!

 Feast with the Beasts is one of our most popular events here at The Houston Zoo.  Though the name is slightly scary and gives me images of Godzilla stomping around the Medical Center as I eat a turkey sandwich, it’s really NOTHING to be afraid of.  In fact, if you love food just as much as I do then the scariest thing about this event would be you and your appetite.

Unfortunately, if you haven’t already bought your ticket then you will have to wait for next year’s tickets to go on sale. I’ve been told that this event gets sold out quickly. Why? Well because with a purchase of a ticket you get to taste delicious snacks from 65 Houston restaurants, 2 drinks, animal presentations, AND a concert featuring the B-52s, that’s why! Plus, each purchase of a ticket will help The Houston Zoo’s conservation, education, and animal care programs!

HOLY CANNOLI! I’m currently counting down the days ‘til Feast with the Beasts and it’s almost here! For those of you that purchased your tickets in time, I will see you there!

Catch your attention? Read more about Feast with the Beasts on our website and join us next year!

Also, if you haven’t already checked out my previous blog posts go ahead and click here!

 

 

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Oct
27

Mi Aventura en Zoo Boo/ My Adventure in Zoo Boo

Posted by in En Español,Events,Guest Blogger Series

¡Gracias por regresar a leer mi segundo blog de esta serie! Recuerda que también está escrita en ingles ahí abajito de la versión en español. (In ENGLISH below) Disfruta, y compártelo con tus amigos especialmente por Facebook y Twitter.  Y recuerda que si tienes alguna pregunta o comentario que no te de pena escribirlo al final de esta pagina.

Hace dos Viernes me desperté muy alegre porque por primera vez este año abrió el evento de Zoo Boo!

Desde que empecé mis practicas aquí en el Zoológico de Houston e visto todos los ingredientes que le ponen a la poción de Zoo Boo dentro de la caldera mágica. Lo que no me dijeron era que esta poción me iba a dar efectos de felicidad y quizá me haría brincar de emoción! Si hubiera sabido esto antes, tal vez me hubiera preparado mejor. Pero bueno, durante mi tiempo aqui he ido a las reuniones y en cada  reunión hablan sobre cada cosa relacionada con el evento y las responsabilidades de cada departamento. Es aquí donde realmente aprendí que es necesario que todos los departamentos de una organización se apoyen y trabajen juntos.

Decidí asistir al evento como voluntaria para poder ver la transformación de un evento planeado en papel a una cosa visible y exitosa. El primer día que estuve ahí  me pusieron en la sección llamada Festival of Fun al lado de los Elefantes en el McNair Asian Elephant Habitat que viene siendo uno de los lugares que mas me gusta visitar dentro del zoológico.  En el Festival of Fun hay varios  juegos para los pequeños y pueden ganar premios por solamente participar.

Al siguiente día me toco asistir en las estaciones que rodeaban la Piscina de Reflección, o mas bien llamada The Reflection Pool.  A pesar de que se me cansaron los pies de tanto caminar, el día estuvo maravilloso.  En cuanto abrieron las puertas de la entrada se lleno de niños y niñas disfrazados y ansiosos por coleccionar dulces.  Las mesas de tatuajes temporales se ocuparon y el Monster Mural se cubrió de colores diferentes.  Los pequeños no podían creer que alguien les estaba dando permiso de pintar  una pared con marcadores!

La actividad que mas me asombro fue el TXU Energy Monster Mashquerade.  El DJ Captain Armando, vestido de Pirata, formo a los niños que querían participar y los llevo a hacer un desfile de disfraces.  Y luego, al terminar el desfile entraron los miembros del Aldine Dance Company vestidos como animales salvajes y les enseñaron a los niños y padres como hacer el baile de la canción “Thriller”.

El primer fin de semana Zoo Boo atrajo 30,092 personas y hemos recibido muchas felicitaciones por el éxito.  Todavía queda este fin de semana (Viernes 28 de Octubre – Lunes 31 de Octubre) para que puedes venir a disfrutar  y compartir tu experiencia con nosotros. ¡No te lo pierdas!

Si aun no haz leído mi serie de blogs haz clic aquí! Y si quieres mas información sobre este evento visita la pagina web http://www.houstonzoo.org/zooboo/.

 

Thank you for returning to read my second blog post in my series! For those of you that are just now joining us, my blog series, written in both English and Spanish, will continue through mid-December.  You will find the English version located below the Spanish one.  I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures as a Houston Zoo intern and please, don’t be afraid to leave your questions or comments. Share this with your friends via Facebook and Twitter!

Two Fridays ago I woke up very excited and sleepy, but mostly excited because it was the grand opening of this year’s Zoo Boo. Also, it was my very first time being here for this event and I can’t believe it took me this long.

For the past few weeks I have been watching the staff stir up a rather exciting Zoo Boo potion into their Special Events cauldron.  I wish they would’ve warned me about the side effects because then I would’ve understood why I kept having this urge to jump up and smile every 5 minutes. Weird? No! At Zoo Boo it is perfectly normal to be thrilled, maybe because of all the candy they give you, but regardless, I fit in just fine. Although The Houston Zoo is made up of MANY different departments,  they all come together and discuss what every one’s role is for the event.  They go over everything you could possibly think of which has taught me that it truly is important for everyone in an organization to support each other and work together in order for everything to be successful. The Zoo’s ability to do so is really visible during the event because it’s so organized and each staff member knows how to help. I couldn’t wait to be a part of it and watch it unfold from plans on paper into an actual event. That is why I gladly volunteered to assist them in any way.

On the first day I was asked to help out at the Festival of Fun where the group Best Entertainers set up carnival games and gave the kids a prize for their participation.  My favorite part was seeing all the different costumes that came through and watching the kids play enthusiastically.  Oh, and lucky for me the Festival of Fun is located right next to the recently opened McNair Asian Elephant Habitat!  I really enjoyed being able to look back and see babies Tupelo and Baylor play around in their new home.

During the next two days as I volunteered, I walked around the Reflection Pool area and made sure that each station’s volunteers had everything they needed. I got to see how successful the Monster Mural is and just how much kids love the Zoo Boo tattoos. I also got to see the TXU Energy Monster Mashquerade up close as the children, lead by DJ Captain Armando, showed off their costumes during the parade and then gathered to learn the “Thriller” dance with the Aldine Dance Group.

Overall, the first two weekends of Zoo Boo were successful and everyone seemed to enjoy the activities. The first weekend alone attracted 30,092 visitors! Now that the weather has cooled down and Halloween is quickly approaching, we expect to see many more princesses and heroes come through our entrance! I hope you and your little one(s) won’t miss out on the last weekend of the festivities: Friday, October 29- Monday, October 31!

If you haven’t already read the Intro to this series, you can find it HERE! Also, if you’d like more information about Zoo Boo visit our page http://www.houstonzoo.org/zooboo/.

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Oct
13

The Ambassadors are Wild for the Houston Zoo

Posted by in Carnivores,Events,Supporting Your Zoo

On Thursday, September 22, the Houston Zoo’s Ambassadors gathered at the newly renovated cougar exhibit for an evening of Cocktails and Canapés. Guests enjoyed the cooler weather as they sipped on wine and beer and sampled delicious bites created by Chef Larry of Solarus Catering. The Zoo’s Carnivore team presented a demonstration featuring the cougars and jaguars, delighting guests with an up close and personal view into the training that happens daily at the Houston Zoo. Event goers learned more about these amazing animals and why keepers work diligently to train different behaviors. To view more photos from this event, please click here.

Ambassadors enjoying the training demonstration

The Ambassadors is a growing group of Zoo supporters who are committed to spreading the mission and vision of the Houston Zoo. Each year, the Ambassadors are invited to exclusive social events, aimed at providing members with a personalized Zoo experience to inspire leadership for the Houston Zoo. These events culminate with the Annual Ambassadors’ Winter Gala that directly benefits the Zoo’s animal care, education, and conservation programs. The Fourth Annual Gala will be held on February 4, 2012 and promises to be another exciting evening of food, drinks, and unforgettable animal experiences.

With an annual donation of $250 for an individual or $500 for a couple, Ambassadors receive a number of exclusive benefits including unlimited admission to the Zoo for one year, a 15% discount in the Houston Zoo Gift Shop and much more.

 

This is a great value for those who want to make a difference for their Zoo and are looking for fantastic benefits in return. To learn more about the Ambassadors or to join today, please click here.

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Sep
26

Dora & Diego Visit the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Events,Just for Kids

Well-loved characters Dora and Diego, from the hit Nickelodeon shows Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go!, are visiting the Houston Zoo on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2! They will make appearances throughout the day and greet adoring fans, young and old alike, to pose for photos. Be sure you bring your camera to capture this exciting experience! This is included in your regular Zoo Admission or membership.

Dora and Diego will be near the 4-D Experience in The African Forest on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2 from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. each day. While they will be out from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., they may take a few brief breaks during this time.

 

Dora the Explorer!

 
Also, guests can watch them in action in the exciting and interactive Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure: Catch That Robot Butterfly! at the Zoo’s 4-D Experience. The 4-D Experience is $5 for non-members and $4 for members.
 

Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure!

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