Church Events
Whether you're planning Vacation Bible School, a church picnic, fall festival, Easter celebration, Christmas program, community outreach event, or Live Nativity, Chamberlin Pony Rides has been helping churches throughout Michigan create memorable family experiences since 2000.
Our animals provide a welcoming, interactive attraction that encourages families to stay longer, connect with one another, and enjoy your event together. From small church gatherings to large community festivals, we'll help you choose the right package for your space, budget, and attendance.
Why Churches Choose Chamberlin
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Over 25 years of experience serving churches throughout Michigan
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Fully insured and USDA licensed
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Friendly, well-socialized animals
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Professional, experienced event managers
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Indoor or outdoor setup available
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Complete setup and cleanup included
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Flexible package options for churches of all sizes
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Non-profit pricing available for qualifying organizations
Petting Zoos
Our petting zoos provide a hands-on experience for guests of all ages.
Choose from:
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Mini Petting Zoo (6–8 animals)
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Complete Petting Zoo (12–15 animals)
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Deluxe Petting Zoo (25+ animals)
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Jumbo Petting Zoo (40+ animals)
Depending on the package, guests may meet alpacas, miniature horses, miniature donkeys, calves, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, rabbits, tortoises, and more.
Hand sanitizer is provided, and all interactions are supervised with animal safety as our top priority.
Church Festivals
& Community Outreach
Planning a large event?
We regularly provide entertainment for:
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Church festivals
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Vacation Bible School (VBS)
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Community outreach events
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Fall festivals
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Harvest celebrations
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Family fun days
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Church picnics
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Homecoming events
Many churches choose one of our complete packages, which can combine pony rides, petting zoos, balloon twisting, music, bubble machines, and other activities to keep guests entertained throughout the event.
Pony Rides
Pony rides are one of the most popular attractions at church festivals and family events.
We offer:
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Single or double hand-led ponies
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Larger horses for older children and adults (available upon request)
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Multiple pony setups for larger festivals
For high-attendance events, we can help determine the number of animals needed so wait times remain reasonable throughout your event.
Easter Events
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Looking for something different this Easter?
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Our petting zoos make a wonderful addition to:
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Easter egg hunts
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Resurrection celebrations
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Family worship events
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Community outreach days
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Children and families enjoy interacting with the animals before or after your church programming.
Live Nativity & Christmas Events
Our Live Nativity packages help bring the Christmas story to life with beautiful animals and costumed attendants.
Available options include:
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Traditional Live Nativity
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Deluxe Live Nativity
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Walk-through Nativity experiences
Perfect for:
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Christmas Eve services
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Community Christmas events
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Church productions
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Drive-through Nativities
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Living Nativity displays
We Make Planning Easy
From the initial reservation to event day, our team works with your church staff to ensure everything runs smoothly. We'll help determine the best package, space requirements, setup location, and any special accommodations needed so you can focus on your guests while we handle the entertainment.
Our Clients Say
"No suggestions for improvement. We want to THANK YOU and share what an amazing experience it was for our church and community. People were thrilled when they learned they could actually approach the animals and feed them. We had three 15-minute performances of the Christmas story with breaks in between. It was great that the animals could be spaced out and surround the stable and be part of the nativity scene instead of having all the animals in a pen like a petting zoo. The animals were not afraid at all when the magi came forward or when people approached them. We are so thankful that you provide this type of service and memorable experience for all ages. The conversations are already about 'next year'. What a huge compliment to all of you!"
Marilyn Kress
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
Kandi Wood
We had a great experience with Chamberlain Pony Rides and have hired them more than once for our Southminster Presbyterian Church Community event Animalpalooza and we look forward to hiring them again in the future! Thank you to Tom and Kim’s team who are exceptional at what they do to make our event a success for kids in the neighborhood!
Alisa Murphy
Google review
Jan Czarnota
Our families at St. Kieran Catholic Church (in Shelby Township) LOVE when Chamberlin visits and we've engaged them at least 5 times over the past 2+ years -- in the Fall for our picnic (petting zoo & pony rides) and in December for our Live Nativity event. Their event managers are very easy to work with. They are always on time and are friendly and professional. They bring a good variety of beautiful animals to each event (large & small)...their camel steals the show each December. We've already scheduled them for next year's events.
Holly Van Kehrberg
Google review
Diane Brewer
Chamberlain Pony Rides and Mobile Petting Zoo have been one of the best parts of our Harvest Fests at First Flint Seventh-day Adventist Church for nearly 10 years. Scheduling is easy and reliable. The staff is amazing. Judy was our vendor this year. As always they are punctual, efficient and super friendly and patient with the children. Children loved the petting zoo every bit as much as the pony rides. The animals are clean and well trained. They definitely meet and exceed expectations. We are already looking forward to next year’s Harvest Fest with them as our featured event.th her and her friends. Jenny and her assistant were great with the kids.
Hugh Canduit
Google review