N.C. Zoo to host Pokemon Go party this week

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, the zoo in Asheboro will host a Pokemon Lure Party. Lane Ragsdale, the zoo's travel industry manager, tells me that there will be 51 PokeStops across the zoo with lures at each of those stops.

As part of the day, the zoo will have animal ambassadors, from reptiles to owls from the zoo's rehab center, out for visitors to see. There also will be expanded keeper talks throughout the zoo.

Pokemon Go is an augmented reality game that involves searching for virtual Pokemon monsters on a mobile device at real locations. When I took my girls to the zoo last week, we already saw plenty of visitors with their phones out, trying to catch the characters.

"It's definitely a phenomenon that we want to be a part of," Ragsdale tells me. "It's a wonderful opportunity for families and millennials to get out and enjoy nature while they play the game."

The zoo is about 90 minutes from the Triangle. The party is free with admission, which starts at $11 for kids ages 2 to 12 and $15 for adults.