LITTLE FALLS (WJON News) -- The Halloween spirit will take hold of Little Falls this week for two fun events. Pine Grove Zoo is hosting a Pumpkin Carving Party on Thursday, and its annual BooFest on Saturday. The pumpkins will be gutted ahead of time and ready for you to display your creativity. Zoo Director Marnita Van Hoecke says all the pumpkins will be displayed at the zoo as part of Boo Fest, which is always fun to see:

"You know it is fun and people are so creative, what they can come up with, a lot of people will bring those books with the stencils and they can stencil it out, and some just start carving away, so depending on how many carvers we have, you may be able to do two or three pumpkins apiece."

She says people planning to come to the carving party should call ahead to let them know and bring their own carving tools. On Saturday, BooFest will take over the zoo with games, bounce houses, and, of course, lots of candy.

Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Plus, you can see all the animals play with a pumpkin or a Halloween treat.  Van Hoecke says the animals look forward to BooFest and their special treats:

"Some we actually have in bags, and they have their little treats in bags, and they can try and attack that, otherwise we've got other animals that carry things. The otters usually have pumpkins floating in their pool, and so they go crazy over those things."

Van Hoecke says it is the last chance to see the animals for the season. The Pumpkin Carving Party is free to attend and runs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. BooFest costs $8 and takes place on Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Pine Grove Zoo
Pine Grove Zoo
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Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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