ZooMontana Cancels Two Exciting Upcoming Events Thanks To COVID

Back in 2020, it felt like 9 out of 10 posts I had to make on this website every week were about how this event was cancelled, that business was shut down, this place had to close for a while... it was exhausting. I'm very much hoping that this post isn't the beginning of a return to that, but with COVID cases on the rise again, anything's possible.

ZooMontana out in Billings has announced that two of its upcoming events have officially been cancelled thanks to COVID and the Delta variant: The Montana Renaissance Festival, which was scheduled for September 4th and 5th, and the Halloween-themed Boo at the Zoo, which was supposed to take place on October 30th. Both events were expected to draw thousands of people, and the zoo felt that cancelling them was the right decision to keep the guests, staff, and animals safe.

It's a bummer for the people who were planning on attending, but it's also a financial hit for the zoo, so it can't have been an easy decision to make. Executive director of ZooMontana Jeff Ewelt released a statement where he supported local health officials and their calls for preventative measures.

Were you planning on heading out to ZooMontana to check out either of these events? I'm sure we'll be hearing about other cancellations in the next few months, but with more people getting the vaccine, more events and organizations may press forward than they did around this time last year.

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Filed Under: Billings, Coronavirus Resources and Updates, Delta variant, ZooMontana

Categories: Missoula News