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

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

 April 26 and 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 24, 2008 - Jacksonville, Fl - The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will be hosting its second annual Spring Into Bloom festival on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the new Great Lawn and Gardens of Trout River Plaza.  Gary Alan, host of Designers’ Landscape TV Show, will headline the list of well-known local experts with plant and gardening organizations that will explain how to design, grow, landscape, decorate, and cook with plants.  Alan will make his one and only presentation on Saturday, April 26 at 2:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy live musical entertainment, “bubbly” flower people, children’s activity area, visits from Jazoo, prize drawing, and horticulture information stations staffed by the Zoo’s expert staff.  Visit jacksonvillezoo.org for the complete event schedule.

“We moved the date of this year’s event to showcase our gardens” said Bob Chabot, the Zoo’s Director of Horticulture and Facilities.  “The flowers are in bloom, and it’s a great time of the year to enjoy the Zoo, learn from gardening experts and have fun with the family.”

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.