For immediate release
Contact: Mercede New, 904-757-4463, ext. 211

Celebrate Spring at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ “Spring Into Bloom” Festival

 April 11 and 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March 24, 2009 - Jacksonville, Fl - The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will be hosting its third annual Spring Into Bloom, spring plant festival on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  New this year, vendors will be selling plants, unique crafts and artwork to guests at the Zoo.  Attendees can also enjoy live musical entertainment, “bubbly” flower people, visits from Jazoo (the Zoo’s friendly lion mascot), prize drawings, and horticulture information stations staffed by the Zoo’s staff.  There will also be a kids’ fun zone, with crafts, face painting, bounce house and giant inflatable slide.  Guests can also visit plant and gardening information booths hosted by various garden clubs from Northeast Florida.  Visit www.jacksonvillezoo.org for the complete event schedule.

“As our gardens continue to grow and expand, it is exciting for this festival to do the same. The inclusion of art and crafts is in keeping with our commitment of displaying art in our gardens. Also, bringing in plant vendors compliments our mission to continually expose our guests to new, different and exciting plants,” said Bob Chabot, director of horticulture and facilities at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,500 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  The Zoo is open until 6:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays from March to Labor Day.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.

###