A
zoo visit educates, entertains, and reminds us that we share this world with
many other unique species. Summer Safari is the Pittsburgh Zoo's annual adult benefit
that celebrates the stature of the lion, the wobble of the penguins, the artistry
of the black and white painted zebra, the vibrant shades of blues, yellows and
pinks of the ocean world, and more. It’s
a party that you share with the diverse wonderful creatures in the wild as you hold
a cocktail, sample delicious dishes from over 28 businesses, and listen to live
entertainment.
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| The entrance is the main event with live entertainment and bites from 11 Pittsburgh Restaurants |
The
party starts with finding the perfect Summer Safari outfit. Last year I sported a pair
of sparkling tiger pants that I found in the back of my closet left over from
the 90’s. This year my two amigos and I
modeled an array of animal and tropical prints until, thanks to amazon and the
local thrift store, we all found our perfect zoo outfits. We joined the collage
of snake, leopard, zebra, flowered and tropical prints for this whimsical
event.
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| We are in the middle enjoying an animal encounter with friendly zoo staff. |
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| Yellow Fin Tuna (Braddocks Rebellion) |
We grazed samples of Meatball Lollipops (BURN),
Chicken Skewers (Eddie Merlot’s), Brazilian Sausage, Chicken Breast wrapped in
Bacon (Texas de Brazil), shrimp and crab fondue (Uno Pizzeria & Grill),
Breads with Spreads (Mancini’s Bakery) and much more. My taste buds found favor with Walnut Grill’s Wild Mushroom Chicken
& Roasted Beet Salad. I over ate, listened
to the live entertainment and enjoyed a glass of wine while others enjoyed the variety of beers, rum
and vodka signature drinks. This was only the first of four food and drink
stations spaced throughout the zoo.
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| All the animals seemed to join the party |
Weaving along the serpentine path though the Asian Forest and then the African Savanna, we shared this celebration with the lions, leopards, rhinos, flamingos, ostrich, zebras, giraffes and elephants. All the animals seemed unusually active in the cool night air. The tortoise did not hide. The elephants ran, circled their trunks and some slapped them on water in a playful dance. The ostrich darted and puffed out its feathers. They were joining the party.
At the Plaza, over 6 delicacies from the exclusive caterer of the zoo were offered. Above the Plaza the party continued with two primates swaying and jumping on ropes seemingly mimicking the festive mood and the beat of the music spun by DJ Mike Mason.
Penguins, waving pink coral, star fish, dancing translucent jelly fish, detailed sea horses and other types of ocean life dazzled us at the PPG Aquarium. The aquarium housed all types of desserts and again I was stationary for some time dipping strawberries into the chocolate fountain (The Pittsburgh Melting Pot). Many others enjoyed the sweet moonshine cocktails but I preferred sampling the abundant flavors of fudge from the Fudge Farm and A1 Fudge.
Passing the Water’s Edge, Summer Safari ended at the PNC Pavilion where the band, Radio Tokyo, motivated a dancing crowd. This five hour event passed so quickly as we shared this celebration with the wonderful creatures in the wild.
(The
Zoo will host another adult event-ZooBrew on September 6, 2019 with 45 craft
beers samples, food and entertainment. For tickets go to pittsburghzoo.org ).
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