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Advisory board approves early closures to prepare for Booth Zoo fall event
Summary
The advisory board approved temporary early closures of zoo grounds on specified October dates to transition the site for the Booth Zoo evening events; the board voted to approve the schedule after a brief presentation and discussion of staffing and signage plans.
The Mexico Park Zoo and Botanic Garden advisory board voted to approve early closures of the zoo to allow setup and public access for the fall Booth Zoo event on two weekends in October.
According to a presentation to the board, Booth Zoo will follow Wild Summer Lights; the last night of Wild Summer Lights is Oct. 5 and Booth Zoo is scheduled to run two weekends: Oct. 17–19 and Oct. 24–26. The zoo requested that on Fridays and Saturdays staff close the zoo gates at 2:00 p.m. and clear most guests by 3:00 p.m. so evening event setup can begin; the evening event will run 5 to 8 p.m. On Sundays the zoo will close at 1:00 p.m. and reopen as Booth Zoo by about 3:00 p.m.
Board members discussed staffing impacts for cleaning and bathrooms and were told that Booth Zoo daytime attendance is typically lower than Wild Summer Lights; routine spot cleaning by staff was anticipated and the zoo will communicate closures via website, phone messaging, bulletin boards and signage to ensure visitors are notified before paying to enter.
A board member moved to approve the early closures “as noted.” The motion received a second, the board voted in favor, and the chair announced the motion passed. The meeting transcript did not record a roll call tally.
Why it matters: the approved early closures formalize the operational schedule for Booth Zoo, giving staff and vendors explicit windows to transition the facility from daytime operations to evening programming and informing the public about modified hours.
The board adjourned with the next meeting scheduled for Oct. 7.
