It’s that time of year! The NEW Zoo & Adventure Park officially invites you to join our annual Public Pumpkin Carving Event, presented by Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream and Piggly Wiggly Howard/Suamico. Join us on Wednesday, October 8th, between 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Pines Shelter, off the north end of the NEW Zoo’s main parking lot. Bring your own pumpkins and pumpkin-carving tools and get ready to show us your creative carving skills to help us decorate the Zoo! This event is FREE to attend. If you are unable to bring your own pumpkins, you are still welcome to participate and carve, thanks to a selection of pumpkins provided by Piggly Wiggly Howard/Suamico. Please bring your own carving supplies.

Be sure to work up an appetite while you carve, because Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream will provide FREE PIZZA and the zoo will provide drinks to everyone who participates! Happy Joe’s mascot, “Happy the Dog,” will also stop by that night to meet guests. This is a great opportunity for families, along with larger groups such as scout troops, clubs, churches, school service groups, and more. Everyone is welcome!

“Our Public Pumpkin Carving event is such a fun tradition for so many,” says Angela Kawski, Education & Outreach Coordinator. “Families, students and scouts, small and large groups alike are all welcome to join us, to help carve the 200-plus pumpkins needed to line the Zoo’s pathways. We love seeing both familiar and new faces every year.”

All pumpkins carved during the event remain at the Zoo, to be used to decorate for North Shore Bank Zoo Boo 2025, held on October 10^th, 11^th, 17^th, 18^th, 24^th, and 25^th. Community members are also welcome to donate and drop-off carved pumpkins anytime during regular business hours, Sundays through Thursdays in October, starting on October 12^th.  The NEW Zoo & Adventure Park is continually in need of “fresh” pumpkins throughout the month of October.

Pre-registration through our online RSVP system is strongly encouraged for the event. After registering, guests can arrive anytime between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  For more information and to register, visit www.newzoo.org/events.