COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's annual Boo at the Zoo celebration is returning to offer Halloween fun without the scares.

The event will occur during October weekends including Oct. 14-16, Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 28-30.

On Fridays, the event is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year’s Boo at the Zoo happenings include:

  • Tommy C. Turtle’s Trick or Treat Trail
  • Jessie’s Jack-O-Lantern Journey
  • Giant pumpkin carving
  • Character ambassador appearances
    • Character ambassador halloween meet and treats
    • Character ambassador rolling celebrations - Cali’s Pirate Palooza; Halloween Hullabaloo; Roll Back the Rock; So Long, Farewell
  • Halloween at Character Cottage
  • Character Craze Hay Maze
  • Zoo Boo Choo-Choo train ride through Vertebrate Village
  • Sydnee Koala’s Royal Carousel
  • Animal presentations (available at select times), including Sea Lion Training Tales, Dive Into Adventure, and Cheetah Runs
  • Other themed areas and attractions

The event is sponsored by Wendy's and guests can receive a buy-one-get-one-free admission offer by redeeming a coupon available at Wendy's stores in the Columbus area throughout October. Tickets must be purchased and redeemed online by Oct. 30.