By Chris Bavender
Face it, staying up until midnight on New Year’s Eve can be a struggle. The Zion Nature Center has a solution: Noon Year’s Eve, an early celebration geared for all ages.
“We were looking at a way to do a New Year’s Eve program with a nature education twist, but to have the building open that late causes a lot of problems for our animals as well as staff schedules,” said Mindy Murdock, park naturalist and nature center manager. “In addition, we would be competing with all the other more adult-centered festivities. Shifting the program to the daylight hours allows us to use our educational animals and gives families something to do earlier in the day, without having to make changes in their evening plans.”
This is the second year Zion Nature Center will host the program.
“This gives the children a chance to have their own New Year’s Eve celebration so they feel that they are a part of the festivities,” Murdock said. “It also gives mom and dad a chance to celebrate when they know by midnight they’re going to be snoozing on the couch.”
Noon Year’s Eve will feature a craft, an opportunity to meet some of the Zion Nature Center’s educational animals up close, as well as a few environmental education activities.
“We will also have our Green New Year’s Resolution wall for families to post their resolution to make 2017 a little greener,” she said. “And then of course there’s the countdown to noon and the balloon drop and an opportunity for families to toast in the Noon Year with each other.”
The event is free but limited to 50 participants. To sign up, email the Zion Nature Center at [email protected] and include the number of those attending (both parents and kids). Murdock said registration filled up fast last year, and there were about 100 people on a waiting list.
