The Louisville Zoo hosts the biggest Halloween hullabaloo in town for the little ghosts and goblins and the young at heart!
Greetings, mortals, it’s the Phantom of the Ville coming to you from the Herpaquarium at the Louisville Zoo at 1100 Trevilian Way. At this spooky time of year, I like to visit my old friends, the vampire bats, who’ve been roosting at the Zoo for the last ten years. They seem to like it in the Ville, and of course, it’s their favorite time of year too. They tell me that the blood they drink has a pumpkin spice flavor to it this time of year.
You can drop by and say hello to my little fanged friends when you’re trick-or-treating at the World’s Largest Halloween Party which takes over the entire zoo during the next two weekends. The vampire bats are excited and the Herpaquarium will be open for visitors during their Halloween adventure, so you’ll have an opportunity to see them up and partying after dark!
For over 30 years, the Louisville Zoo has hosted the biggest, longest and most elaborate trick-or-treat wonderland in the region. You can view the art pumpkin display, chat with Mumpkin the Pumpkin, wander through the Pumpkinville hay maze and trick-or-treat at the dozens of sponsored stations throughout the zoo.
This week I sat down with Louisville Zoo Media Relations Manager, Kyle Shepherd, to find out what’s new and newsworthy at the World’s Largest Halloween Party in 2013.
The Phantom of the Ville: Good evening, Kyle. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. We came out to the World’s Largest Halloween Party last year and it was HUGE. It basically encompassed the entire zoo. How do you plan to top last year?
Kyle Shepherd: We encompass the entire Zoo this year as well. We’ve added a few new areas and new props and even more costumed characters. There is a photo opportunity around every corner at the World’s Largest Halloween Party presented by Meijer. For us, every night is different at the World’s Largest Halloween Party! There are always such unique costumes to be seen. We love it, especially when mom and dad get into the fun and the entire family dresses in themed costumes. And, afterall, this is the family-friendly event to be SEEN and not scared.
TPOTV: How many years has the zoo been hosting this Halloween hootenanny?
KS: 32 years! A long-standing tradition!
TPOTV: What’s new this year?
KS: We’ve added a few new areas and new props and even more costumed characters. We’ve also asked our guests to select a night and limited the capacity so that we can offer a great experience for all of our guests. We want it to be a great family memory building event!
TPOTV: One of the iconic events over the history of the World’s Largest Halloween Party is the appearance of the Headless Horseman. My niece, who just turned 16, still remembers the galloping ghoul chasing us on the zoo train. Where can Washington Irving fans find the Sleepy Hollow spook this season?
KS: The Headless Horseman no longer chases the train, but for those more adventurous they can find that attraction in Gorilla Forest. It is a storytelling stop and guests get to meet a surprise visitor on their tour. This is an attraction that has an additional fee.
TPOTV: Will the zoo train be incorporated in the event this year?
KS: The train is an added attraction for an extra fee, yes. For Halloween we’ve named it the Wizarding Express.
TPOTV: Will zoo guests be able to view any of the more nocturnal animals during their trick-or-treat journey?
KS: You can visit some of our late night Party animals (weather permitting). You are most likely to see flamingos, snow leopards, bongos, rhinos and giraffes. Many others retire to their bedrooms; some are not out for their health and safety during this event. The HerpAquarium remains open during the event so visit our creepy and crawliest inhabitants.
TPOTV: I noticed that Caufield’s Novelty is a sponsor again this year. Can you tell us about their role in the event?
KS: Caufield’s is a great resource for props and such. We even participated in their parade earlier. What fun.
TPOTV: Thanks for talking to us and for all the great years the zoo has thrown this amazing Halloween party.
KS: Thanks for letting us talk about this fun event.
The World’s Largest Halloween Party takes place this weekend, October 17-20, and next weekend, October 24-27, starting each night at 5PM. You can enter the zoo until 8:30PM. All information about tickets and parking can be found on the zoo’s event page at http://www.louisvillezoo.org/halloween/.
