Advertisement

Westfield Citrus Park underscores mall's sense of community with Wild Wonders

 
The new Wild Wonders exhibit, running through Aug. 5 at Westfield Citrus Park, includes a reptile walk.
The new Wild Wonders exhibit, running through Aug. 5 at Westfield Citrus Park, includes a reptile walk.
Published July 19, 2018

CITRUS PARK — Kids who recently visited Westfield Citrus Park may now know that iguanas have three eyes.

They also may have stared at over-sized topiary animals, shook hands with the Tampa Bay Lightning's Thunderbug and reveled as stylists from Paul Mitchell The School painted their faces.

The mall launched its Wild Wonders summer exhibit on July 12 and the four-week promotion might get a little wilder when actual petting zoo animals arrive this weekend. The promotion represents an evolving process of bringing the community into the retail center for more than buying clothes and eating in the food court.

"We're providing a bigger focus on larger events that really provide a reason for families to come to Westfield," said Westfield marketing director Dawn Arvidson. "We want to provide something in our backyard that's engaging for the community."

The interactive exhibit, geared towards children and families, consists of four stages near the entrance to Macys: a comfy area to watch movies; a reptile house with artistic recreations of reptiles and "did you know" facts; the topiary area dubbed the "Zoo Walk;" and an oversized butterfly garden in a pergola.

Added features come from an array of community partnerships. The YMCA provides popcorn and snacks during Thursday evening movie screenings, the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) sponsored a cloud exhibit last weekend and Busch Gardens provides arts and craft opportunities on select days.

"We really wanted to tie in with our community partners," Arvidson said.

Westfield also has teamed with certain nonprofits to provide money-raising opportunities. Last weekend, nearby Big Cat Rescue reaped the benefits of a paint night fundraiser. On Saturday, it'll be the Florida Aquarium taking advantage of a similar charitable event.

Family activities have served as a Westfield cornerstone for some time. Last week, Westfield Brandon hosted a Back To School Bash and Westfield Citrus Park will host a similar event, featuring a scavenger hunt, on the JC Penney/Dillards end of the mall on Saturday.

Still, the attention to detail and length of the activation period for Citrus Park's Wild Wonders represents a conscious effort to enhance such promotions.

It's no secret some retailers have suffered as the shopping habits shift to online purchases, but mall management hopes Wild Wonders and similar exhibits makes the drive worthwhile. It plans a sea-themed exhibit for Westfield Countryside in Clearwater that will launch Aug. 10, and a veterans feature in the works for Westfield Brandon after last year's successful Old Glory Relay.

"We are community centers," Arvidson said. "That's what we do. That's what we own. We've received great responses from our families and that's what we're surrounded by, families that want to be inside, enjoy events, shop, dine and not spend a ton of money."

For more information on Westfield Citrus Park's Wild Wonders exhibit, visit westfield.com/citruspark/wildwonders.

Contact Ernest Hooper at ehooper@tampabay.com. Follow him @hoop4you.