Fall Fest—the university's annual staff appreciation event—staked out new territory this year, landing at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore on Saturday.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., nearly 3,000 JHU employees, family members, and friends experienced a wild day exploring the zoo, including its newly renovated African Journey exhibit.
Among those hanging out and enjoying the autumn day were giraffes, lions, polar bears, elephants, zebras, penguins, and flamingos.
Home base for JHU was a private pavilion space, where a catered lunch of BBQ beef, mac and cheese, and rotisserie chicken was served, along with ice cream from the Miss Twist truck.
Entertainment also abounded at the pavilion, with face painters, Angelo and Marie's Fantastic Bubble Show, and a DJ on hand, along with animal ambassadors that included an African penguin and a tarantula.
Some attendees took part in a scavenger hunt as they explored the zoo, then entered their completed forms in a drawing. Winners received family memberships to the National Aquarium, Port Discovery, the Science Center, and of course, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
This event had double the attendance of last year's Fall Fest.
Posted in Happenings
