Zak Mohamed, 2, reaches back for his mom while riding the shoulders of his dad, Jama Mohamed, when a dinosaur gets a little too close for comfort at Jurassic Quest at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Saturday. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
PORTLAND — Tyrannosaurus rex, spinosaurus, triceratops, velociraptors and more roared into Portland on Saturday for the second day of Jurassic Quest at the Cross Insurance Arena.
The touring dinosaur-themed expo features life-sized animatronics, dinosaur bouncy houses, a fossil dig and interactive “raptor training” shows.
The expo tours all over the U.S. and Canada, offering kids a fun and educational experience. “Dino trainers” were on hand to answer questions and lead families through the experience.
“He names all of them, he’s very excited,” Britany VanKeuren, of New Hampshire, said while watching her 4-year-old son, DJ Shattuck, interact with the dinosaurs. “He’s obsessed with dinosaurs.”
Like many other attendees, VanKeuren heard about the event on Facebook and joined the hundreds of others flocking to the Cross Insurance Arena for something to do with the kids on a summer Saturday.
Jo-Anne Dusseault, of Biddeford, watched her grandkids, 5-year-old Iris and 7-year-old Grayson Dusseault, dig through sand for dinosaur bones.
“We’ve seen every Jurassic movie,” Dusseault said.
Grayson’s favorite dinosaur is, of course, the T. rex, his grandma said.
Lauren Washington, a.k.a. “Dino Trainer Lauren,” walked around the stadium floor introducing kids to her very special friend – a baby triceratops puppet named Trixie.
Washington, an Alabama native, said she’s become quite the dinosaur expert during her time at Jurassic Quest.
“I love everything about dinos,” Washington said. “It’s a super cool job.”
Upstairs, Jurassic Quest staff painted kids’ faces and led them on walking dinosaur rides.
Gianni Kerns, 5, of Auburn, got a ferocious dinosaur painted on his cheek after learning all about the dinosaurs on display.
His dad, Robert Kerns, said Gianni is particularly fond of the T. rex and the stegosaurus.
“He’s having a blast,” Kerns said.
The dino extravaganza opened in Portland on Friday and runs through Sunday before heading down to Florida.
