The Los Angeles Zoo comes to life in the evenings this summer starting Friday, July 7 with all-ages Zoo Friday Nights Presented by L.A. Care, where guests can discover what their favorite animals get up to during the cooler twilight hours. Families can roam the entire zoo until 8 p.m., while enjoying music, a Family Dance Party by GEC Entertainment, games, interactive education stations, and more. Full bars (21+), food truck fare, and carousel rides are available for an additional fee. Each evening will feature a different band along with DJ Johnny Hawkes, who will be spinning genre-blending mashups from the past few decades. The first evening will feature nine-member Masanga Marimba Ensemble, who will be playing high-energy, family-oriented traditional and popular music from Africa and Latin America. Other performances in the series include all-female Pulp Vixen; ‘80s cover bands Flashback Heart Attack and Pop Gun Rerun; and Reggae, Soca, and Caribbean band Upstream, among others.
JULY 7
Music: Masanga Marimba Ensemble, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, After’s Ice Cream, Border Grill, Rice Balls of Fire
JULY 14
Music: Pulp Vixen, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Jay’z Tacos
JULY 21
Music: The All the Vibes Band, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, Kona Ice, Border Grill, Rice Balls of Fire
JULY 28
Music: Flashback Heart Attack, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, After’s Ice Cream, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Jay’z Tacos
AUGUST 4
Music: Pop Gun Rerun, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, Kona Ice, Border Grill
AUGUST 11
Music: Upstream, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, After’s Ice Cream, Jay’z Tacos, Rice Balls of Fire
AUGUST 18
Music: Shades of Blue, DJ Johnny Hawkes
Food Trucks: Baby’s Badass Burgers, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Burnt to a Crisp Texas Smokehouse, Kona Ice, Jay’z Tacos
This seven-week series runs until Friday, Aug. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission $25 per adult (18+); $20 per child (2-17); and $15 for GLAZA members. For more information on this nighttime series and to purchase tickets, visit https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/special-experiences/zoo-friday-nights/.
