NORFOLK, Va. -- The Virginia Zoo will host its first “Sunday Funday” drive-thru event on June 7 to give people their zoo fix even while the zoo still remains closed.
Visitors can expect to meet the zoo's mascot, Tango, and cool off with some Dippin' Dots ice cream and frozen chocolate-covered bananas, the zoo’s newest concession item, available for purchase.
The zoo has been closed for roughly three months due to the coronavirus pandemic and mass-gathering restriction, which hit the zoo's bottom line. The sale of these concession items is to help support the zoo and recoup losses.
"We have lost a lot of revenue from regular ticket sales, special events, camps and educations programs,” Ashley Mars, the marketing manager for the Virginia Zoo, told News 3. “We're looking at a big loss of money coming into the zoo so that's definitely been a big challenge for us."
Zoos across Virginia received the okay to reopen under Phase Two, which started on Friday.
The zoo said people have been calling “every two to three minutes” to find out when it reopens. Mars added the zoo does not have a set reopening date yet.
"I think everybody is super excited to come out and see the zoo and see the animals," Mars said. “We're really excited to have everybody back, so we're looking forward to being able to announce when we can reopen. Hopefully within the next couple of days [we can] let everyone know."
The “Sunday Funday” drive-thru is from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The Virginia Zoo is located at 3500 Granby Street in Norfolk.
