Outdoors

THE BRONX Zoo will celebrate Halloween with the final weekend of its annual program “Boo at the Zoo,” on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. This popular attraction features a wide range of Halloween-themed activities and entertainment for the whole family, including the brand new “Haunted Safari,” pumpkin carving demonstrations, hayrides, magic shows and animal demonstrations. Kids can make their own masks at a special crafts workshop, pick up some free candy at stations setup throughout the zoo and try to find their way through a hay maze. The zoo is located at Fordham Road, just off Exit 6 of the Bronx River Parkway, and it will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 718-367-1010 or go to www.bronxzoo.com.

THE CENTRAL Park Zoo, located at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, will also hold its own version of “Boo at the Zoo,” on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30 and 31, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this Halloween extravaganza, visitors will be able to watch polar bears, snow monkeys and other animals as they are offered pumpkins filled with their favorite treats, from corn-on-the-cob to bamboo to fish. There will be special demonstrations at the bat exhibit every hour as well as a wildlife witch that will present a spooky show in a haunted habitat three times each day. In addition, kids can get their faces painted with various Halloween designs, go on a search for extinct animal spirits hidden around the zoo and make a bat, spider or snake headband at an interactive craft workshop. For admission prices and more information, call 212-439-6500.

WAVE HILL, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, presents “Trees of the Muhheakantuck,” a special garden walk for all ages, which will be held today, Thursday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m. During this program, horticultural interpreter Charles Day will discuss the towering forests that Henry Hudson observed while sailing up the Muhheakantuck, which means “river that flows both ways.” Visitors will explore the Herbert and Hyonja Abrons Woodland, as well as other shady areas of the garden, to observe many of the fine native trees that would have been familiar to both the native Algonquins and the early Dutch settlers. This program is open to the public and free with paid admission to the grounds. Participants should meet in the Perkins Visitor Center. For more information, call 718-549-3200.

THE GREENBURGH Nature Center presents the special program, “Creatures that Go Bump in the Night,” on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. Visitors will join naturalist educator Jennifer Sloan for a sneak peek at some of the center’s spookiest animals as well as a chance to learn more about their fascinating features. This event is open to the public and admission costs $6 per person. The nature center is located at 99 Dromore Road, just off Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale, N.Y. For more information, call 914-723-3470.

PELHAM BAY Park, located at Bruckner Boulevard and Wilkinson Avenue, presents the outdoor program Fall Foliage, on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. Join the Urban Park Rangers for a guided walk through the woods to explore the colors of autumn, identify trees and discuss how leaves transform from green to red, yellow and orange. This event is free and open to the public. Participants should meet at the Pelham Bay Ranger Station. For more information, call 718-885-3467.

THE NEW York Botanical Garden presents the third and final year of its popular fall exhibition “Kiku in the Japanese Autumn Garden,” now on display through Sunday, Nov. 15. This attraction highlights four different styles of traditional Imperial chrysanthemums, including ozukuri, hundreds of blossoms from a single plant; ogiku, singlestem flowers that range up to sixfeet in height; kengai, small-flowered chrysanthemums that cascade down waterfall-like frames; and shino-tsukuri, blossoms that open wide to accentuate petals with two different colors. Among this year’s new features are installations of contemporary kiku display styles such as cones, columns and spheres, as well as a selection of colorful Japanese maples, perennials, grasses and ferns. There are also several displays of bonsai and bamboo, hands-on activities for kids, Japanese drumming performances, demonstrations, guided tours and more. The Botanical Garden is located on Fordham Road, off the Bronx River Parkway. For more information, call 718-817-8700. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.nybg.org.

PLAYLAND PARK, in Rye, N.Y., will host the final weekend of its annual haunted house attraction, “Scared By the Sound,” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29, 30 and 31. Beyond the amusement park’s deserted midway and boardwalk, costumed ghosts and goblins will greet visitors as they travel through a 10,000 squarefoot crypt consisting of dark passageways, a haunted wine cellar, sanitarium, library and attic, a black hole tunnel and several new surprises along the way. At the end of the crypt, the scares continue in a creepy waterfront cemetery and in the Mausoleum of Mayhem. Admission to the attraction is $14 for adults and $10 for children under 12. For specific hours and other details, call 877-722-7938 or go to www.scaredbythesound.com.

This is part of the October 29, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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