Go!Fest gets wild at the Chattanooga Zoo

By Kathie Fulgham

Visitors of all abilities are invited to Go!Fest, free from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Chattanooga Zoo.

Visitors of all abilities can enjoy a free day at the Chattanooga Zoo during the fifth annual Go!Fest celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.
Animal attractions and interactions will be plentiful, but breaking boundaries and increasing disability awareness are at the heart of Go!Fest, which also will showcase activities, entertainment and information from various social service agencies and other civic-minded groups, businesses and organizations.
“Events like Go!Fest increase awareness that people with disabilities want to participate in all aspects of life in the community,” says Sandra Booher, a person with a visual impairment and an advocate for those with disabilities. “We all have more in common than differences.  Everyone can get together and enjoy the day. Inclusion becomes a way of life, rather than ‘special treatment.’”
Go!Fest is part of an initiative created by Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield to help make Chattanooga more accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability.
“People of all abilities want to live their lives to the fullest, without limitations,” he says, “and the public’s perception and awareness about disabilities will expand when discoveries are made about how people with different abilities live, work and play together.”
Since its inception, Go!Fest has evolved into a much larger event, notes Sandra Booher. “Interest is increasing, and people look forward to Go!Fest as an annual city happening,” she says. “Kids as well as adults like to have their names printed in Braille. Watching the process, and then getting the finished product, is educational and interesting.”
Among the attractions and activities at this year’s Go!Fest:

• demonstrations of adaptive athletics, including wheelchair basketball and cycling
• music and interactive entertainment
• service dogs and demonstrations
• booths showcasing educational and health resources for people of all abilities
• an art showcase by featured artists with disabilities
• activities including a large “Touch-a-Truck” exhibit, featuring fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and S.W.A.T. vehicles.

Go!Fest will take place at the Chattanooga Zoo, whose $4.3 million upgrade in 2008 enhanced its reputation as an “exotic destination” in the heart of the city. Zoo visitors can explore the Gombe Forest, which swings with chimpanzees; South America, where jaguars lounge and macaws “talk”; the Cougar Express, where mountain lions stride; and the Himalayan Passage, where red pandas play.
“The Chattanooga Zoo is delighted to host Go!Fest as a part of our mission to provide educational and recreational opportunities for  everyone,” says Zoo Director Darde Long. “We pride ourselves in being a welcoming facility to all, and Go!Fest allows us to participate in a wonderful experience that brings much-needed recognition and awareness to the needs of everyone who lives in our community and visits our city.”
Two miles from downtown Chattanooga, the zoo is located at 1254 E. 3rd St. For directions, call 697-1322 or 697-1319.
Go!Fest will entirely comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information about Go!Fest, visit GoFestChattanooga.org, or call 425-7800.