Detroit Zoos second Summer Zoomance event of 2009 is August 18th

By Patricia Janeway

Royal Oak, MI - If the adage “love is lovelier the second time around” is true, the Detroit Zoo’s second Summer Zoomance event of 2009 promises to be even lovelier than the first. The after-hours 21-and-older affair will be held Tuesday, August 18, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $8 and parking is $5 (parking is free for Detroit Zoological Society members).

Created as an opportunity for grownups to fall in love with the Zoo all over again, Summer Zoomance allows visitors to relive their memories of the Detroit Zoo while making new ones during a peaceful twilight stroll among the award-winning animal habitats. A Summer Zoomance event held on a picture-perfect evening in July drew more than 900 guests and numerous requests to schedule another.

The August 18 Summer Zoomance will feature live performances by the musical group Good Day Bad Day at Rackham Fountain and animal enrichment activities throughout the Zoo. Guests can visit all their favorite animals and see many new arrivals, including two black-and-white ruffed lemurs born in June, a baby aardvark born in December and a chimpanzee born last fall. Adult beverages and food will be available for purchase from Zoo concessions.

Visitors can take a prehistoric journey through the DinoTrail at Dinosauria, the Zoo’s blockbuster summer attraction featuring 19 animatronic dinosaurs, and ride the DinoSimulator at the Wild Adventure Ride. Tickets for each experience are an additional $3. The Tauber Family Railroad will also be operating, allowing passengers to enjoy a scenic ride through the Zoo for a one-way fare of $3.

Tickets for Summer Zoomance can be purchased in advance online at www.detroitzoo.org as well as at the admission gates up to the night of the event.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October (open at 9 a.m. May 1 through Labor Day) – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March. Admission is $11 for adults 15 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 14; children under 2 are free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Admission is free. For more information, call (313) 852-4056.

To view Detroit Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-472-Detroit_Zoo