LouisvilleKY., – September is a busy month at The Louisville Zoo. Here’s what’s going on:
Sept. 9
7th Annual WAKY Rock N’ Roll Reunion Concert
1 p.m. in the Oasis Field
Take a trip back in time with the best of 60s and 70s local bands when they get together for one huge concert. FREE with Zoo admission or Louisville Zoo membership. Bring a chair or blanket. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase.
12:55 p.m. National Anthem by The Doo Wop All Stars
1 p.m. The Epics
2 p.m. Wulfe Bros. with Sherry Edwards
4 p.m. Doo Wop All Stars with Barb Polk and Eddie Humphries
5 p.m. Wayne Young and the New Legends
6 p.m. Caribou
Sept. 15
Great Clips Friday Night Movie Series Viewer’s Choice: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
6 p.m. in the Oasis Field; movie starts at sundown
Meet and Greet 6 – 9 p.m.
Enjoy a movie under the stars at the wildest theater in town with a special character meet and greet with Belle from 6 – 9 p.m. Watch your favorite movies on our giant inflatable screen. The Zoo Crew will provide free entertainment before the show. Snacks and other refreshments will be available for purchase. Don’t forget to pack your blanket or lawn chairs. Movie nights are FREE to Zoo members and only $5 after 5 p.m. for non-members. Ticket purchase, movie night entrance and Zoo exhibits open until 8 p.m.
Sept. 23
Flutter Fest
10:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Butterflies n’ Blooms culminates with the tagging of 1,000 monarch butterflies for release at Flutter Fest on Sept. 23 brought to you in partnership with Louisville’s Idlewild Butterfly Farm. This release coincides with the annual migration of monarch butterflies.
Activities will include:
- Craft stations. Visit craft stations like buggy headbands, tie-dye butterflies and more!
- Education stations. View specimen boxes and more buggy artifacts.
- Butterfly tagging. Enjoy bonding time with the family while supporting wildlife when you help tag monarch butterflies. Tagging monarchs helps to track their migration and monitor their population.
- Pollinator Parades. Join the fun! Kids can wear their own butterfly wings and be part of a special pollinator parade. If you don’t have your own wings, our gift shop will also have butterfly wings available for purchase. The parades will be held at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- Storytime plus meet and greet with the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Hear the beloved tale of a particularly hungry caterpillar brought to life during our special story time. Stick around after the story to meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar in person.
- Butterfly talks and release. Starting at 2 p.m., butterfly expert Blair Leano-Helvey will give a talk on the importance of pollinators like monarchs. Then, at approximately 2:15 p.m., we will begin the release of over 1,000 monarch butterflies.
Schedule
10:30 – 1:30 p.m. Tagging of butterflies (until all 1000 butterflies are tagged)
11 a.m. Pollinator Parade #1
1:30 p.m. Pollinator Parade #1
2 p.m. Butterfly Release talk
2:15p.m. Butterfly Release
There will be special plant sales as well as insect related gifts available for purchase from our Butterfly partner, Idlewild Butterfly Farm.
Don’t Forget Closing for Season
Papa John’s Splash Park Closes Sept. 4
Papa John’s Splash Park will be closing on Labor Day for the season. The nautically-themed water play area features a fishing boat for kids to climb, dump buckets and mini water slides — over 40 ways to get wet — so kids can get as wet as they want. Papa John’s Splash Park is free with Zoo admission or Zoo membership and is open daily weather permitting. It closes 30 minutes before the Zoo closes each evening.
Wings of the World Bird Show Closes Sept. 4
Wings of the World Bird Show will close for the season on Labor Day. Free with Zoo admission, this “free flight” 30-minute presentation weaves conservation messages with spectacular behaviors and personal stories about the animals. Shows are held three times daily and four times on Saturdays at the MetaZoo stage in the center of campus and may include a bateleur eagle, black vulture, Andean condor, sarus crane, kookaburra or rose-breasted cockatoo “Wings of the World” is created by “The Birdman®” Joe Krathwohl.
Through October
Camel Rides
Dromedary camels Petey, Amos and Max offer a memorable ride and photo opportunity. Like Horses, camels are domesticated animals. Hours are 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 – 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 for members and $6 for non-members. Open weather permitting through October.
Sky Trail® Navigator and Sky Tykes™ Ropes Courses Presented by Great Clips
Weekends only through Oct. 29
The two-story Sky Trail® Navigator course includes 18 challenging elements where guest can see the Zoo from a whole new perspective from their perch high above the ground. Available for all ages, those under 48 inches tall require a helper. Must fit into the harness. Sky Trail is $9 for members; $10 for non-members and groups of 15 or more are $8. The Sky Tykes™ is for kids under 48 inches and is $4 for members, $5 for non-members and groups of 15 or more are $3.
Zoo Hours
Through Sept. 24, 2017
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (stay until 6 p.m.)
Sept. 25, 2017 to –March 16, 2018
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (stay until 5 p.m.)
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The Louisville Zoo, a nonprofit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
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