The Jackson Zoo brought over a miniature horse, an alpaca, and a goat for the children of Vicksburg to play with Saturday at Catfish Row Park.

The petting zoo was just one of the activities that were part of the annual Zoo Party in the Park sponsored by The Exchange Club of Vicksburg Child and Parent Center, Inc.

Fundraising Chair Deowarski McDonald said the event is a great opportunity for children to come out and have fun in a family friendly environment while raising funds for the center at the same time.

“We have the animals, a petting zoo, a jump house, face painting, nail painting, cake walk, you name it, we have it right here,” he said.

All of the services and activities were donated for the event, McDonald said.

McDonald said it’s a bonus that community members don’t have to travel far to have a lot of fun.

Hannah Smith brought her one-and-a-half-year-old son Jake Smith and her grandmother Melody Daniels to see what was going on downtown.

“We let him play in the little bounce house, he played on the playground, and he just likes walking around looking at everything,” she said. “He love animals. He’s not quite sure what to think about these.”

Smith said her son just loves to be outside with other kids, so the event was perfect for him.

Erma Driver, executive director of the CAP Center, said this was Zoo Party in the Park’s fifth year.

“Primarily we do this so we provide an avenue for parents to do something to interact with their children at a reasonable price,” she said. “It doesn’t take a lot of your time to build a strong relationship with your child.”

Driver said the program started five years ago to celebrate the 25th birthday of the CAP Center.

“We wanted to have something for the children of Vicksburg to come to and be a part of, where families could enjoy entertainment together,” she said.

Driver said her favorite part of Zoo Party in the Park is seeing the faces of the children.

“Everything we do is about the children,” she said. “The CAP center was established to combat child abuse in 1985, and for me to see the faces of the children when they’re having a good time with their parents and how proud the parents are is wonderful.”

Driver said of course the event is a fundraiser but what’s more important is bringing families together.

“I want to thank the citizens of Vicksburg for supporting us, all the volunteers, our staff, our sponsors,” she said. “The mayor was here, the board of supervisors were here and they were working.

Driver said this year saw the biggest turnout from the past five years with hundreds of community members in attendance.

“We have some good folks here,” she said. “Just the type of people you love to be around. This has been nothing short of fantastic in every way.”

July 10 the CAP Center is hosting a Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner banquet fundraiser, Driver said.

“We’ve got confirmed guests from the NFL, NBA and other celebrities who will be here to help us commemorate 30 years of service,” she said.

Driver said the center is looking for support, volunteers and sponsors for their next big event.