A Foo at the Zoo: Good Times at the San Antonio Zoo’s 30th Annual Zoo La La
Writer & Photographer: Nick Blevins
30th annual San Antonio Zoo La La
The San Antonio Zoo celebrated their 30th annual Zoo La La, a food and drink-centered soiree that spanned much of the zoo grounds, allowing visitors to spend a balmy evening among the wider animal kingdom, while showcasing an all-inclusive, commensurately grand selection of our city’s tastiest bites and bevs.
For the uninitiated, you may wonder: big culinary event at the zoo? How does that work? It turns out, quite well, actually. Just beyond the entry gates stood a bevy of booths that seem to have been curated by an adult version of The Fairly Oddparents’ Timmy Turner, with staff offering everything from beer, wine, and chocolate cakes, to juice, cotton candy, and giant (pettable!) snakes. The gustatory intrigue continued apace, as visitors emerged from beneath the Pantera Walk to find a wealth of drool-inducing choices, including Whiskey Cake’s phenomenally flavorful eponymous cake, crispy, spicy chicken from Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, and a peppery, savory jambalaya from Roam & Range, among many others. Also available were San Antonio Zoo-specific wine collaborations like Conservino, a mild and refreshing white featuring a prominent, amber rhinoceros on its bottle whose aggressive bearing fully belied the delightful contents within.
This year’s Zoo La La featured a silent disco located at the recently opened Congo Falls, and while I suppose I simply never had the opportunity to prior, there is something special about listening to Juicy J’s “Bandz A Make Her Dance” while strolling through a gorilla enclosure, a crisp white in hand; and it’s all for the animals, as proceeds from the event benefit the San Antonio Zoo. For those preferring a more traditional listening experience, “Whoomp! (There It Is)” artists Tag Team got the crowd shaking their derrieres, while Digital Underground spread peace and humptiness forever with their perennial Humpty Dance. Though the crowds were staggering at times, the zoo’s accommodating sprawl and regular placement of vendors kept the vibes relaxed; immaculate, even.
While Zoo La La is for grown-up animal lovers only, the San Antonio Zoo has an amazing variety of programs for folks of all ages, including overnight stays, educational opportunities, and even Dungeons & Dragons sessions led by a zoo game master. The zoo is open seven days a week. Check the website for hours. ⏹
