Photo by Eric Ayres Boo at the Zoo returns to Oglebay’s Good Zoo next week beginning Friday, Oct. 3, and continuing through the month of October. From left are Heather Eddy, the Oglebay Foundation’s vice president and director of development; Joe Greathouse, director of the Good Zoo; Dean Hartley of The Hartley Law Group; and Eriks Janelsins, president and CEO of the Oglebay Foundation.

WHEELING — Creatures and candy await at the Good Zoo as the annual Halloween season festivities are right around the corner when Boo at the Zoo returns to Oglebay next week.

Presented by the Ohio Valley Dairy Queen locations and the Hartley Law Group, this family-friendly fundraising event kicks off on Friday, Oct. 3, and continues every weekend in October.

Costumes are encouraged for this wild romp through the zoo. Event hours will be 5-8 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

“I’ve always liked Halloween,” said Dean Hartley of The Hartley Law Group. “It’s just been one of my favorite holidays.”

Hartley said when the law group had an opportunity to sponsor Boo at the Zoo last year, they jumped at the opportunity. They enjoyed the collaboration so much, they wanted to return as a sponsor this year.

“I thought it was a great mix with me, and our staff thought it was spectacular to come up and decorate for Boo at the Zoo,” Hartley said. “They spent a lot of time looking at what they wanted to put in their display. Last year, when I spoke with Dr. Joe (Greathouse) and learned all about the animals and how they took care of the animals, trained them and protected them — it’s just something that I wanted to do. And I wanted to come back. We’re proud to support such a meaningful community event.”

Greathouse, the zoo’s director, said the Good Zoo has been holding Boo at the Zoo for around 37 years now, and each year, there’s something different to offer guests.

“I think the biggest new thing is we’re always coming up with new decorations,” Greathouse said. “There’s always new Halloween decorations — new scenes the guests are going to see. There’s a big push for a ‘Beetlejuice’ display and some ‘Alice in Wonderland’-types of displays throughout the zoo, and then some displays that will focus on the lions that will be joining us next spring.”

The new lion habitat is currently under construction, as can be seen near the main entrance road to the zoo at Oglebay. The new area is not expected to be open until next year, but there is already a roar of excitement about it.

“Realistically, the lion habitat will probably be opening early next summer,” Greathouse said. “We’ll be one of the largest breeding facilities for African lions in the eastern United States. There will be three villas associated with it where guests can stay, and lions will be on the other side of the glass.”

The new exhibit will be yet another attraction at the Good Zoo, which is already teeming with scores of animals. It is West Virginia’s only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and it boasts more than 68 species of animals, including some rare and endangered creatures.

Guests to Boo at the Zoo will be able to check out the zoo’s inhabitants while ghouling from station to station.

“It’s a great family experience,” Greathouse said. “You can come and enjoy the zoo train, walk around the zoo and see the animals. We’re open all day long now.”

There will be nine decorated candy treat stations for children to visit.

“It’s often the first opportunity for kids to learn how to trick or treat,” Greathouse said. “They get to come through the zoo, and you don’t have to worry about the traffic when you’re in here. We’ve switched to an all-day venue on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that we don’t have large crowds as well.”

Eriks Janelsins, president and CEO of the Oglebay Foundation, said Boo at the Zoo has become a true family tradition over the decades.

“People remember when they were kids and they went through, and now their kids get to experience the same thing,” Janelsins said. “It’s a perfect encapsulation of our community — supported by The Hartley Law Group and Dairy Queen. We have decorators who volunteer to make the zoo look really great. We have volunteers who help make the candy happen and distribute it at the candy stations.”

The zoo’s pathways will come alive with whimsical decorations, thanks to the support of community partners, including Fort Henry Capital, Hartley Law Group, Kelly Mummert, Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration, Dr. Raina Burke & Jeremy West, MLPX, WesBanco, Wheeling Country Day School and the Wheeling Hospital Auxiliary.

Children ages 3-12 are urged to dress in costume, bring treat bags and enjoy safe trick-or-treating along the zoo’s decorated outdoor paths.

“So it’s just an incredible community event, and that’s what I love about it,” Janelsins said. “It’s fun, it’s family friendly, it’s a great experience, the kids love it, and you’re supporting conservation research here at the zoo. It ties all those things together in a perfect little event.”

Proceeds from Boo at the Zoo benefit the care and conservation of the animals at the Good Zoo, making every ticket purchase a treat for both families and wildlife.

For more information, visit oglebay.com/boo.