There are no shortages of fun holiday themed events in our city that range from holiday artists markets to special dining opportunities with million dollar views. But what if I told you that there is an event in the city where the celebration involves characters who are known for wearing furry coats year round or for diving into chilly waters in search of a meal?
Well, that is just part of the fun in store for folks who will venture to the Westside to visit the John Ball Zoo for their annual
Christmas for the Animals.
True to the name, this holiday event focuses on providing space for the community to to return to the zoo and celebrate with a gift for the animals before the worst of West Michigan’s winter weather hits our city.
At this one-day only event, you will have a chance to see Santa and pet his reindeer, observe a thrilling ice carving, learn what animals like which enrichments in their treats, but also experience a thrilling exhibition of Santa’s aquatic diving elves!
Timed events include:
11 a.m. Tigers with a paper mache moose in the upper habitat
12 p.m. Otters “preparing” a meal of fish
1 p.m. Bears unwrapping paper to get to their treats
2 p.m. Spider monkeys wrapping gifts
It is also a great time to make Christmas for the Animals really special via a host of ways.
One way is to support the zoo directly through a donation made at the event or consider sponsoring an animal at the Zoo. Both options are available at this
link to their site.
However you choose to celebrate the animals of our zoo this holiday, just don’t forget to place them on your list to visit this weekend. It is also one of the last times to visit Amur tigers Yuri and Kuza who are slated to ship to another zoo in their quest to help propagate this endangered species. (We will be getting a couple “teenager” tigers in 2018 to replace our Yuri and Kuza.)
John Ball Zoo is the fourth most attended cultural institution in the state, serving over 530,000 guests in 2017.