Friday is final day for Riverbanks' Boo at the Zoo

It’s a dilemma every Halloween: which parent takes the children trick-or-treating and which one stays home, handing out treats and trying to keep the family dog from grabbing a Butterfinger and dashing outside to eat it.

This year, stick together and let the kids do their trick-or-treating (and a whole lot more) before the big day at Riverbanks’ Boo at the Zoo, which kicks off its annual two-week run on Friday.

From 6-9 p.m. each night through Oct. 30, kids can navigate their way through a hay-bale maze, test their moves at Mummy’s Eeky-Freaky Dance Party, watch Ray’s “spook-tacular” Moonlight Magic show and learn funky facts about bats, black cats, snakes and other Halloween animals — some of which will be on hand for personal encounters — on the zoo’s Spooky Safari.

Don’t miss Frankenstein’s Foam Zone, which is a sea of soapy, slippery suds, but event organizers suggest saving that activity, which can soak little goblins to the skin, for last. Of course, since this is Halloween, trick or treat stations located throughout the zoo will be loaded with candy. There will also be glow-sticks, train and carousel rides for sale as well as marshmallows, which kids can roast.

Although the animals will be in bed for the night, public relations manager Susan O’Cain says that animal lovers might want to take a stroll through the zoo to see if anyone is still up. “You never know what you’ll see,” she notes. “Some of the animals are still active in the early evening, so it’s worth taking a look around.”

Boo at the Zoo runs from October 16 -30. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.riverbanks.org.

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 8:09 AM.