Twycross Zoo set to welcome guests to an October Fiesta

Inspired by the Mexican celebration Dia de Los Muertos, visitors can enjoy a host of activities, entertainment and discover more about animals from around the world.

From this Saturday until Sunday, October 30, Twycross will showcase the stories and traditions of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a holiday which originated in Mexico and celebrates those who have passed.

The Zoo’s entrance will be transformed with a beautiful ofrenda, a traditional altar colourfully adorned with candles and flowers, where visitors can give thanks to loved ones and animals passed. Visitors can tune into the sounds of an authentic mariachi band on selected dates and times throughout the week.

Visitors of all ages can join in with white pumpkin calavera (decorative skull) painting and make animal-themed papel picado (paper bunting). Celebrating life, family and animals, guests can also take a seat for storytelling sessions that will transport them to another world and showcase the cultural traditions of Mexico and beyond.

There will also be a special celebration of the Monarch butterfly and their significance in Dia de Los Muertos. The Zoo will host Guatemalan-inspired kite flying activities, butterfly mask making, traditional face painting and host beautiful butterfly performers, with larger-than-life characters, for photos and meet and greets.

Dr Richard Sands, Conservation Education Manager at Twycross Zoo, said: “We’re delighted to announce our October Fiesta for half term – a brand-new event for Twycross Zoo that promises to amaze and entertain our visitors. With a whole host of exciting activities taking place on site, families will have the chance to immerse themselves in the traditions and stories of the Dia de Los Muertos and learn more about incredible animals from across the globe.

“This exciting new event offers us the opportunity to shine a light on the incredible story of Monarch butterflies - who make a mass migration every October from North America to central Mexico, in search of warmer climes. Our special storytelling sessions will invite visitors to learn more about these amazing animals, and the importance of helping to protect them for future generations.”

Twycross Zoo is excited to be working with Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces, a female-led Birmingham-based arts and creative organisation, to design and deliver October Fiesta.

Fresh from the success of producing and delivering the programme for the Birmingham 2022 Festival Live Sites, Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces creates unforgettable experiences in non-traditional performance spaces, that bring people together and connect them to the places around them.

To find out more, visit twycrosszoo.org.