The San Diego Zoo is celebrating its centennial this year and the festivities officially kick off on Saturday, May 14th with a celebration in Balboa Park. For the rest of 2016, special events are planned at the San Diego Zoo and throughout historic Balboa Park to commemorate the Zoo’s 100th birthday.
Courtesy of San Diego Zoo 100 | www.sandiegozoo100.org
Here’s a round-up of some of the events planned:
Centennial Community Event (May 14, 2016 starting at 6:00 p.m.)
May 14, 2016 — Get Ready to ROAR! – Celebration in the Park to kick off an entire year of SD Zoo Centennial Birthday with a bang!
Location = Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park
- Centennial Community Event is free to attend and open to all ages
- Family-friendly event with crafts, face painting, hands-on activities, and food
- Opportunity to set a Guinness World Record
- Live entertainment – bands, dancers, Dr. Zoolittle
- Animal presentations by Zookeeper Rick
- Free admission to several Balboa Park museums, including the San Diego Museum of Art and the Museum of Photographic Arts
- Participating Food Trucks: New Orleans Food Truck (New Orleans Cuisine); Seoul Man Food Truck (Korean); Smoothie Rider (Fruit Smoothies); Salt + Lime (Mexican); Totally Tasty (Burgers & Sliders); Slider House (Burgers & Sliders); Bella Vita Pizza (Pizza); Sun & Sea (Mexican Seafood); Wishbone Wings (Chicken); Back to Foods (Spanish Sandos); Sushi Uno (Sushi)
- Musical extravaganza featuring a live orchestra and a performance by Heather Headley (Tony & Grammy award winner, including roles in Lion King (Nala), Aida, and The Color Purple) at 8:00 p.m. at Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Nighttime Zoo
- Zoo stays open until 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. typically. Check the zoo’s website for additional details.
- Begins in June 2016 and runs through summer
- Special presentations and centennial-themed processions
- Centennial-themed shows from zany Dr. Zoolittle
- Lively musical entertainment
- Included with zoo admission/zoo membership
Share your Zoo Memories Photo Contest #sdzoo100
- Upload your favorite zoo images to Instagram or on the zoo’s website to enter the contest
- Instagram entries need to include the #sdzoo100 hashtag
- Enter for a chance to win monthly prizes including: collectible centennial merchandise, special tours, and more.
- One grand prize winner will score an exclusive VIP Experience for 2 (over $1,200 value!).
- In addition, your photo memories may be featured on the San Diego Zoo’s website as part of its centennial timeline.
Five Balboa Park museums are joining in the celebration with animal-themed exhibitions in 2016:
The Lore Behind the Roar! 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo (March 19 – December 2016)
Beauty and the Beast: The Animal in Photography (May 21 – Sept. 25, 2016)
San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)
Whales: Giants of the Deep (March 19 – Sept. 6, 2016)
The Machine Inside: Biomechanics (Oct. 8, 2016 – Jan. 1 , 2017)
Ferocious Bronze: The Animal Sculptures of Arthur Putnam (March 26 – Oct. 11, 2016)
Jan Brueghel the Elder – The Entry of the Animals into Noah’s Ark (Sept. 23 – Dec. 13, 2016)
What is your favorite memory from the San Diego Zoo? What centennial events are you looking forward to most?
Photo credit: Krista
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