PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Zoo is a great place for families. It’s also a great place for having some beers on a hot summer night among the animals. On July 25, the Summer Ale Festival returns to the zoo.
According to press materials, the annual favorite “combines exceptional food and drink, live music and games with brilliantly colored birds, majestic great apes, astonishing big cats and other wildlife that call America’s first zoo home for a unique, adults-only experience.”
Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and at 5:45, a complimentary shuttle service will pick guests up at 30th Street Station (the corner of 30th and Market streets). The last shuttle will leave the zoo by 10:30 p.m.
There are three options for tickets. The VIP ticket is $90, which includes admission to the zoo, a souvenir tasting cup, unlimited beer sampling and complimentary shuttle service. Also, VIP guests will gain faster entry through a special check in gate and will have access to a reserved VIP area (The Goat’s Lounge) where there are more beer samples and complimentary snacks. VIP tickets are limited.
General admission is $55 and includes everything the VIP ticket does except for faster entry and the VIP area.
The final ticket option is Designated Driver. For $25, these guests receive complimentary parking (or shuttle service) plus unlimited soft drinks, the souvenir cup and zoo admission.
According the event’s website, proceeds from ticket sales go to the zoo’s “mission of inspiring action for animals and habitats around the world.” Tickets must be purchased in advance through the zoo’s website. No tickets will be sold at the gates.
Zoo staff members will be onhand for help. IDs will be checked at the gates since the event is 21 and older.
Along with samples of craft beers from more than 30 breweries like Chatty Monks Brewing Company, Neshaminy Creek Brewing and Wissahickon Brewing Company, guests can enjoy many of the zoo’s exhibits.
Local food trucks will accept cash or credit cards (ATMs are scattered throughout the zoo). Trucks include Local 215, Mac Mart and Philly Fry.
“Summer Ale Festival has become something to look forward to each summer,” said Amy Shearer, Philadelphia Zoo’s Chief Marketing Officer. “There is something at the zoo for guests of all ages, and this is our way of offering adults an exclusive experience and opportunity to get up close with our animal collection, taste incredible food and ale, listen to music and have a great time among friends.”
