Frog kissing remains optional, but the Santa Barbara Zoo will celebrate with its popular Princess Weekend despite a schedule change due to temporary closures of Cabrillo Boulevard. 

At the event on March 23-24, “girls of royal birth” don tiaras, step into their glass slippers, and wear their finest sparkly ball gowns.

However, the event is also designed to bring attention to the world’s many frogs, toads, and other amphibians that face possible extinction.

Princess Weekend is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24. Zoo members are allowed early admission at 9 a.m.

Costumed boys are also welcome, whether they are dressed as knights, princes, cowboys, pirates or astronauts. 

Princess Weekend features a “Kiss a Frog” booth, face painting, bounce house, crafts and more, all with a princess theme. 

Princesses such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, along with mermaids, fairies, and other fairytale characters, will be present. A princess will lead Story Time, and the zoo’s popular live show, featuring Duncan the T. Rex and his friends, is princess themed. Guests can also learn about and join FrogWatch USA, in which “citizen scientists” are trained to identify and count frogs and toads in local wetlands, creeks or other habitats. The commitment is just three minutes twice a week. (www.sbzoo.org/frogwatch-usa/).

The event is free with standard zoo admission: $18 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, and $11 for children 2-12 years old. Parking is $11. For more information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

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A hit with budding royalty since 2009 when the Santa Barbara Zoo first raised the scepter for amphibian conservation, Princess Day is now a two-day affair, dubbed Princess Weekend.

This year’s event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11. Zoo members are allowed early entry starting at 9 a.m.

Girls put on tiaras, step into their glass slippers, and wear their finest sparkly ball gowns to this celebration of all-things-princess. However, the event also brings attention to the many frogs, toads, and other amphibians around the world that face possible extinction.

“There has been a shocking drop in populations of the world’s amphibians,” said Santa Barbara Zoo CEO Rich Block. “If only there was a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand to fix the problems they face.

“In the absence of that, accredited zoos and aquariums are working to address the issues in the wild, and are creating temporary captive ‘lifeboats’ of some of the most threatened species.”

Frog kissing is not required, but there are live animal encounters and keeper talks about several of the zoo’s amphibians including the milky frog, marine toad, blue tongue skink, caiman lizard and Western toad, among others.

Costumes are encouraged, and boys are also welcome, be they dressed as knights, princes, cowboys, pirates, or astronauts.

Entry is free with zoo admission — $18 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for children 2-12. Weekend parking costs $11.

For more information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

The post Princess Weekend raises the scepter for frog conservation appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.