Santa Fe College Hosts Annual Boo at the Zoo Event

Gainesville families access a safe trick-or-treating venue by donating canned food to local pantries.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Wildlife

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a metal donation bin filled with pumpkins and autumn gourds, representing community charity. — Santa Fe College students transformed their teaching zoo into a seasonal destination, collecting donations for local food banks during their 30th annual event. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe charity-based community events are an effective way to address local food insecurity?

The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo recently hosted its 30th annual Boo at the Zoo, a community trick-or-treating event. Families gained entry by donating canned food items to support local food pantries.

Why it matters

The long-running event provides a secure environment for families to celebrate while simultaneously addressing local food insecurity. It serves as a practical intersection between campus life and neighborhood needs in Gainesville.

Since the event began 30 years ago, organizers have welcomed over 140,000 guests and collected 141,000 food items. This year, eight student groups prepared the zoo for an estimated crowd of 5,000 to 6,000 attendees.

The players

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo

An educational facility that has trained students for zoo careers through the Zoo Animal Technology Program since 1974.

The details

To transform the grounds for the holiday, students from the Zoo Animal Technology Program designed themed trick-or-treating zones throughout the zoo. Visitors accessed the grounds by providing canned food donations instead of traditional cash entry fees. These contributions are then distributed to local food pantries to help support students and Gainesville residents.

1970 marked the beginning of the Zoo Animal Technology Program.
1974 was the year the zoo moved to its permanent Santa Fe College location.
October 28, 2026, was the date of this year's event.

The Home Front

This annual event reflects a wider trend of local educational institutions anchoring community safety initiatives. It demonstrates how specialized vocational training programs, like the one here with an 85% placement rate, provide tangible public benefits beyond the classroom.

Families can mark their calendars for this annual community food drive held every October. Consider keeping a few shelf-stable canned goods in your pantry specifically for local charity collection events like this one.

The takeaway

The Boo at the Zoo event serves as a practical model for how educational programs can engage the local community while supporting food security. Residents can plan to support similar local charity drives by keeping track of recurring community event schedules in Gainesville.