News Release
 
Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org
 
September 14, 2018
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Brookfield Zoo Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a Day of Music, Dancing, and Art

Photo Captions
8575: At Brookfield Zoo’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, guests can get up-close experiences with animal ambassadors on the North Mall.

8867: Ballet Folklórico Internacional Tuwamari will perform at Brookfield Zoo’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on September 22.

9065 and 9129: Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos will perform at Brookfield Zoo’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on September 22.

     Brookfield, Ill. – Brookfield Zoo, which is managed by the Chicago Zoological Society, will be hosting a day of celebrations in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month on Saturday, September 22, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the zoo’s North Mall.  Activities will include special animal Zoo Chats, performances by Latin American music and dance groups, a children’s art contest, special Dolphins in Action presentations, and a Latin American animal scavenger hunt.

The event’s hosts, Cook County Commissioners Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Luis Arroyo, Jr., will welcome guests and introduce a series of musical entertainment, with performances by Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos, Ballet Folklórico Internacional Tuwamari, and Mariachi Tradicion Juvenil.

"I would like to thank the Chicago Zoological Society and Brookfield Zoo for highlighting Hispanic Heritage Month as part of their programing. I recommend residents to take part in the festivities and enjoy a great time at the Zoo,” said Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.

Families will also have the opportunity to meet with several of the zoo’s Animal Ambassadors, featuring those from the Latin America region on the North Mall at 11:45 a.m. In addition, zoogoers can watch birds being fed in the rainforest habitat in the Feathers & Scales exhibit at noon and a Humboldt penguin feeding in The Living Coast at 3:30 p.m. There will also be Zoo Chats for guests to attend and learn about the Orinoco crocodiles in The Swamp at noon and the Mexican wolves at Great Bear Wilderness at 2:30 p.m.

Zoogoers can visit the event booths for information on the Latin American animal scavenger hunt and children’s art contest. Youngsters interested in participating in the art contest are encouraged to bring completed artwork or create a new masterpiece at Hamill Family Play Zoo, inspired by their favorite animals from Latin America.

Any child wishing to enter the contest must submit their artwork, as well as an entry form, at the Brookfield Zoo booth on the North Mall by 3:00 p.m. The winner of the art contest will be announced at the end of the celebration and will receive a unique animal encounter at Brookfield Zoo for two people.
For additional information on the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Brookfield Zoo, visit CZS.org/HeritageCelebration.
 
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About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by engaging people and communities with wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. Open every day of the year, the zoo is located at 8400 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA and PACE bus service. For further information, visit CZS.org.