Wild Adventures: A Smart Zoo Experience will return to Owensboro on Monday, bringing animatronic animals, interactive exhibits, and deep-dish cookies.
The event will run from 2-7 p.m. at Lowe’s Home Improvement at 415 Fulton Drive. Hosted by I Heart Cookies, a traveling entertainment company, the event will combine their popular cookie truck with zoo-inspired attractions and family-friendly activities.
Attendees will be able to view realistic animatronics of wildlife, dinosaurs, and a 40-foot king cobra, explore a virtual reality aquarium, participate in fossil digs, visit face-painting stations, and enjoy numerous photo opportunities. Admission requires the purchase of an I Heart Cookie, priced at $5 each or six for $25. Guests can receive free admission by following the instructions posted on the company’s Facebook page.
I Heart Cookies owner Rachel Marlow said their goal is to provide an entertaining and accessible experience for everyone in the community.
“We’ve always tried to focus on the experience side of things and offering something that people can really make a memory out of,” she said. “We do our best to create an event that is really affordable for families.”
The experience has grown into one of the company’s most prominent touring attractions after launching in January of this year. Monday will mark the company’s third overall visit to Owensboro and its first time bringing the Wild Adventures event to the city.
I Heart Cookies began in 2021 as a family-owned cookie truck in Wichita, Kansas. After receiving strong support from local customers, the business quickly expanded into a traveling entertainment company that hosts pop-up attractions across the United States alongside its baked good treats.
Two traveling crews help make each event possible, managing the setup and teardown of each attraction. A partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement provides hosting locations throughout the tour, helping accommodate I Heart Cookies’ growing attendance. The company also partners with local businesses and city parks to support its events and connect with communities along the way.
“We try to bring something bigger and better every time that we visit somewhere, … something that is our own and something that people likely haven’t seen or experienced elsewhere,” Marlow said.
Looking ahead, the company plans to continue touring Wild Adventures through 2026 while expanding its list of attractions nationwide. Through family-friendly events that combine interactive entertainment with hands-on education, the company aims to build on its growing audience and strengthen connections within each community it visits.
For additional information, visit their event page here.
