Drink beer. Save wildlife! Join Friends of the National Zoo at Washington, D.C.'s best beer festival on July 20. Enjoy great times and great brews with unlimited beer tastings from more than 70 breweries, exotic animal encounters, live music and entertainment, and fare from popular food trucks—it's a unique after-hours Zoo experience.
Proceeds benefit the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's mission to save species.
*FONZ members enjoy special pricing and early ticket access beginning June 8.
The Event
Event Highlights
Throughout the evening, you’ll enjoy:
- Unlimited beer tastings from more than 70 breweries.
- Exotic animal encounters.
- Brew games! Spin the prize wheel for your chance to win Zoo prizes, and enjoy lawn games like Brew Corn Hole.
- Fare from popular food trucks available for purchase.
- The great feeling of knowing your ticket purchase has helped save species.
VIP Experiences
In addition to our general event attractions, there will also be exclusive experiences for VIP ticket holders:
- Early access to Brew at the Zoo beginning at 5 p.m.
- Exclusive VIP access to Great Cats Circle, with lion and tiger viewings.
- Delicious tastings from top D.C. restaurants.
- Generous pours from breweries exclusive to the VIP area.
- Live music and entertainment.
Additional Details
- Brew at the Zoo is an adult event. Guests must be at least 21 years old and present a valid photo ID. No babies or children are allowed.
- Guests without a valid photo ID will not be permitted to enter the event.
- Credit cards are accepted at many but not all food trucks. ATMs are located at the Visitor’s Center and Mane Grill.
- Smoking is not permitted at the Zoo.
- Brew at the Zoo will be held rain or shine.
Tickets & VIP Experiences
Brew at the Zoo tickets go on sale to FONZ members on June 8, and the general public on June 15. Not a member? Join today so you can purchase tickets before non-members—and at a discount, too.
General Admission Tickets
- FONZ Members $50 | Non-members $65
- Access to the general event area and animal houses, which includes complimentary beer tastings from more than 70 participating breweries as well as complimentary soft drinks and water, along with live entertainment and animal encounters.
VIP Tickets Sold Out
- FONZ Member: $85 | Non-member: $100
- All the perks of general admission plus:
- Early access to Brew at the Zoo beginning at 5 p.m.
- Exclusive VIP access to Great Cats Circle, with lion and tiger viewings.
- Delicious tastings from top D.C. restaurants.
- Generous pours from breweries exclusive to the VIP area.
- All the perks of general admission plus:
Breweries & Restaurants
Breweries
General Event Area
- Alewerks Brewing Co
- Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling
- Atlas Brew Works
- Bluejacket
- Blue Point Brewing Company
- Bold Rock Hard Cider
- Boulevard Brewing Co
- Brooklyn Brewery
- Caboose Brewing Company
- Capitol City Brewing Company
- Clown Shoes Beer
- DC Brau
- Denizens Brewing Co.
- DuClaw Brewing Co.
- "Fatti" by Stelzer
- Fair Winds Brewing
- Flying Dog Brewery
- Forge Brew Works
- Goose Island
- Great American Restaurants
- Guinness
- Jailbreak Brewing Co.
- Lagunitas Brewing Co.
- Lonerider Brewing Company
- Long Trail Brewing
- Mad Fox Brewing Company
- Magic Hat Brewery
- Mass bay brewing company
- Narragansett
- O'Connor Brewing Company
- Old Bust Head Brewing Co.
- Oskar Blues
- Otter Creek Brewing
- Peak Organic Brewing Company
- RavenBeer
- Right Proper Brewing Company
- Samuel Adams
- Shiner
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- Sixpoint Brewery
- Smuttynose Brewing Co.
- SweetWater Brewing
- Terrapin Beer Company
- The Brewer's Art
- Troegs Independant Brewing Company
- Two Roads Brewing Company
- Two Smooth Dudes, LLC
- Vanish Farmwoods Brewery
- Waredaca Brewing Compnay
VIP Area
- Adroit Theory Brewing
- BadWolf Brewing Company
- Ballast Point Brewing
- Beltway Brewing Company
- Elysian Brewing Company
- Hellbender Brewing Company
- Heroic Aleworks
- Manor Hill brewing
- Old Ox Brewery
- Oliver Brewing Co.
- Port City Brewing Company
- Redbeard Brewing Company
- Starr Hill Brewery
- Three Notch'd Brewing Co.
VIP Area Restaurants
-
Appioo African Bar & Grill
- Barrel
- Blackfinn Ameripub
- BRABO Tasting Room
- Brookland's Finest Bar & Kitchen
- Brookland Pint
- Calvert Woodley Fine Wines & Spirits
-
City Tap Penn Quarter / City Tap Dupont
- Dino's Grotto
- Duke's Counter
- Hill Country BBQ
- Nando's Peri-Peri
- Pinstripes
- Roofers Union
- Tonic at Quigley's
- Vice Cream
Food Trucks
- Capital Crab Company
- CapMac, LLC
- Chix N Stix
- PEPE
- Rocklands Barbeque & Grilling Co
- The Frenchman
- Two Smooth Dudes
Parking & Transportation
Metro
The Zoo is accessible by Metro Red Line at the Woodley Park-Zoo Station or the Cleveland Park Station, which are fewer than 10 minutes away from the Zoo. Throughout the evening, free Big Bus Tours will transport guests from the Woodley Park Metro Station to the Panda Plaza Bus Lot on a continuous loop starting at 5:30 p.m.
Driving
Starting at 4:30 p.m., the only vehicle access in and out of the Zoo will be at the Connecticut Avenue gate. Member parking is $11 and non-member parking is $22 per vehicle. Members must show their member card to receive the discounted rate. All guests should park in Lot B. If this lot is full, guests may also park in Lot A or D.
