Huntington Woods marked a hundred years with a party at the Detroit Zoo, not in a city park. For the rest of 2026, the city's public calendar keeps alternating between the Zoo and the Gillham Recreation Center. The city's own outdoor projects wait for bond money that isn't expected to start work until spring. So the centennial's last chapter runs on the city's oldest neighbor, its rec center gym and, at the end, a sticker at the polls.
The Party Went Next Door
The anniversary goes back to 1926. That year, the area left Royal Oak Township and incorporated as a village. It became a city in 1932. The city has been marking the date all year. The July 2–4 Fourth of July celebration covered both the nation's 250th and the city's 100th, with Float-a-Boat, a pet pageant, a bake-off, the parade, a hot-dog roast, a concert and fireworks.
The main centennial event is today, Sunday, Oct. 4, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Detroit Zoo. Huntington Woods Parks & Recreation is hosting, the event is for residents only with registration required, and the Men's Club is the presenting sponsor. The city also asked for 100 Centennial Supporters at $100 each. Supporters get a hat or T-shirt and recognition at the celebration.
The timing overlaps with the Zoo's own calendar. Oct. 3–4 is the opening weekend of Zoo Boo, and this year Zoo Boo also opens at 3 p.m. On Zoo Boo dates, regular Zoo hours run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Zoo then reopens from 3 to 8:30 p.m. for the event, which needs a separate ticket. The city's party started the same afternoon the Zoo's busiest fall event began, and this is the first fall the Zoo has a new section to show off.
What the Zoo Changed Since Last October
The Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails opened after a May 22 ribbon-cutting. The section covers seven acres. It's open daily, and entry is included with admission and free for members. Inside are the Canopy Trail, Goat Encounter Yard, Senses Trail, Little Sprouts, Mosaic Plaza, Treetop Crossing, The Gathering Pavilion, Stingray Cove & Feed, Base Camp, Farmers Market and Garden Grove. Treetop Crossing is an accessible aerial area with a slide, reached by climbers, stairs or a ramp. At Stingray Cove & Feed, visitors can touch and feed stingrays and bamboo sharks.
Zoo Boo was redesigned around that new section. The Zoo lists these changes for 2026:
- Gates open at 3 p.m., an hour earlier than before.
- The whole Zoo, including the habitats at the back, stays open until 6 p.m.
- Craft and story zones on the Discovery Trails, with tie-dye animal crafts, sidewalk chalk, leaf rubbing and fall story times.
- Junior Wildlife Detective Stations where kids match animal X-rays, examine owl artifacts and compare snake patterns.
- Allergy-friendly treats at select trick-or-treat stations.
- An LED light-up dance floor and a talking pumpkin.
- More food for purchase, including Table 28, Boardwalk Station and Woodward Slice, plus a collectible ghost cup you can add to your ticket.
Before 6 p.m., Zoo Boo works like an afternoon at the Zoo with fall enrichment items for the bush dogs, grizzly bears and penguins. After dark, the front of the Zoo becomes the lit Halloween area. Frankel Stingray Cove stays open until 8 p.m., but there are no stingray feedings during the event. Tickets cost $21 to $27, and members save 10%.
A Calendar That Alternates Between Two Addresses
From now through the new year, the city and the Zoo share the calendar. On Oct. 23, the city's Goblin Gala runs from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in Gym East at the Gillham Recreation Center. That is the first night of the last Zoo Boo weekend.
| Date | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 9 | City entry deadline | "I Voted" Centennial Sticker Contest entries due |
| Oct. 9–11, 16–18, 23–25 | Detroit Zoo | Zoo Boo, 3–8:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 20 | City of Huntington Woods | Winning sticker design announced |
| Oct. 23 | Gillham Recreation Center, Gym East | Goblin Gala, 7–8:15 p.m. |
| Nov. 3 | Polling places | Centennial sticker handed out at the general election |
| Nov. 21–22, 27–29 | Detroit Zoo | Wild Lights opens |
| Dec. 4–6, 10–23, 26–31 | Detroit Zoo | Wild Lights |
| Jan. 2–3 | Detroit Zoo | Wild Lights closes |
The new Discovery Trails also change Wild Lights this year. The 2026–27 season lights up the trails and adds a 21+ Igloo, a butterfly art experience and virtual reality.
Indoor pickleball at the rec center runs alongside the Zoo calendar. Monday and Wednesday sessions run Sept. 9 through Dec. 16, Tuesday sessions run Sept. 15 through Dec. 15, and a Saturday block runs Nov. 7 through Dec. 19. The library has a new director this fall. Shannon Rourke took over Aug. 1 after serving as children's librarian since 2022.
The City's Own Outdoor Ground Waits for Spring
With so much of the centennial at the Zoo, the city's own outdoor spaces get less attention this year. The inline rink at Val Jones Skate Park is closed for the 2026 season. C&G reported in April that the closure was due to deteriorating asphalt, trip hazards and fence safety concerns, and that the park's future was still under review.
Money to fix it is on the way. On Aug. 4, voters approved a $17 million bond:
- $13 million for roads, water mains and sewers
- $2 million for rear-yard sewer repairs
- $2 million for parks and recreation
When C&G reported the result on Aug. 5, committees were still helping decide the specific projects. The city manager expected work to start "in the spring." That means this fall and winter come before any bond-funded park work. The city's investment in its own outdoor spaces is set to arrive after the centennial year ends.
Rackham Golf Course is the other neighboring ground the city's calendar relies on. It hosted the 2026 Ben Davis Detroit Open on Sept. 19–20, and Matthew Bartnick won the Championship Division. Troon and Indigo Sports were chosen in 2024 to run Rackham and two other Detroit courses. That was the most recent management change we found, so the course is going into this fall without a recent shake-up. Posted hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but the course closes at dusk and depends on the weather. As October days get shorter, dusk sets the real closing time.
The Last Centennial Stop Is a Polling Place
The last centennial item on the calendar is a city one. The "I Voted" Centennial Sticker Contest is open to residents and Burton Elementary students, who can submit original, nonpartisan designs by Friday, Oct. 9. The winning design will be announced Tuesday, Oct. 20, and handed out at polling places for the Nov. 3 general election. The city says this is its first sticker contest. It is also the only centennial event in the material we reviewed that takes place in November. On Nov. 3, voters will get a sticker designed by a neighbor, marking a city that became a village in 1926.
Planning for spring, when the bond work and park changes are expected to start? Logan Wert follows Huntington Woods year-round, and we can tell you what your home is worth going into the city's second century. Get Your Home Valuation, and we'll keep you informed as plans firm up.
