Polar bears to be celebrated at Assiniboine Park Zoo this weekend

A polar bear at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

This weekend is all about polar bears.

International Polar Bear Day is on Feb. 27, and the Assiniboine Park Zoo is encouraging people to come down for the weekend and participate in the polar bear celebrations.

“Polar Bear Weekend is a great opportunity for guests to learn more about conservation, connect with the Zoo’s polar bears, and understand how our work benefits their counterparts in the wild,” said Dr. Stephen Petersen, director of Conservation and Research, in a news release. “Arctic warming is a significant threat to their survival. Connecting with these amazing animals and learning how we can help them now is a great start to protecting their future.”

There will be a number of polar bear themed activities people can enjoy from crafts and polar bear chats to tours of the Gateway to the Arctic.

There will also be screenings of the short film “Snow Bear” which is about a single polar bear searching for a friend in the harsh environment.

Most events will be happening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

A full schedule for the weekend can be found on the zoo’s website.