For most outdoor attractions, the revenue curve is painfully uneven. Sixty percent of annual attendance crams into four summer months, while the remaining eight months limp along at half capacity or worse. Staffing, animal care, and facility maintenance don’t follow the same curve — costs stay relatively flat while revenue swings wildly.
The attractions that have cracked this problem share a common strategy: they’ve stopped treating off-peak months as something to survive and started treating them as something to program.
The Seasonal Event Playbook
Halloween events at zoos and aquariums have exploded in popularity over the past decade, and for good reason. A well-executed “Boo at the Zoo” can generate more revenue in three October weekends than the entire month of February. But Halloween is just the beginning.
Winter light festivals have become a phenomenon, with some attractions reporting that their holiday event outsells summer attendance on a per-day basis. Spring conservation festivals, fall harvest weekends, and winter indoor programming all create reasons to visit that have nothing to do with weather.
The challenge isn’t creating the events — it’s getting the word out to the right audience at the right time. This is where digital tools become indispensable.
Targeted Promotion Through Your App
Your app audience is your most valuable marketing channel for seasonal events because these people have already visited and already have a relationship with your attraction. They don’t need to be convinced that your zoo is worth visiting — they need to be convinced that it’s worth visiting again, right now.
Push notifications about seasonal events consistently outperform email and social media in conversion rates. A notification that says “Winter Wonderland opens this Friday — members get early access Thursday evening” creates urgency, exclusivity, and a clear call to action. Our data shows these notifications drive 3-5x higher click-through rates than equivalent email campaigns.
Dynamic Content That Reflects the Season
Your app shouldn’t look the same in December as it does in July. The top attractions update their app experience seasonally — new imagery, featured events, seasonal maps with event locations, and curated itineraries designed for the current programming.
A family opening your app in October should immediately see the Halloween event schedule, a themed map showing trick-or-treat stations, and a suggested route that hits all the seasonal highlights. This level of curation makes the seasonal visit feel intentional and premium, not like a consolation prize for not coming in summer.
Weather as an Opportunity, Not an Obstacle
The conventional wisdom is that bad weather kills attendance. But attractions with strong digital communication channels have learned to flip this script. A crisp fall morning is perfect for a zoo visit — animals are more active, crowds are thinner, and the scenery is beautiful. Most potential visitors just need someone to point that out.
Weather-responsive messaging — “Perfect 65-degree day today! Our big cats are loving this weather and the park is beautifully uncrowded” — reframes a Tuesday in October from “why would I go to the zoo?” to “this might be the best day to go.” Attractions using weather-triggered campaigns report 15-25% attendance lifts on days they would traditionally write off.
Building a Year-Round Habit
The ultimate goal isn’t just filling off-peak days — it’s changing the perception of your attraction from a “summer destination” to a “year-round experience.” Digital engagement is the tool that makes this shift possible, keeping your attraction visible and relevant 365 days a year.
When members receive a steady stream of seasonal content, event announcements, and weather-triggered suggestions, visiting becomes a habit rather than a special occasion. And habitual visitors are the foundation of a sustainable business.