SPRINGFIELD — The Zoo in Forest Park’s seventh annual Brew at the Zoo, presented by PeoplesBank, is set for Saturday, Aug. 2 from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Brew at the Zoo is the zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising money in support of its mission to inspire the community to respect and value the natural world through education, conservation, and rehabilitation. This event includes beer samples from more than 20 breweries, food trucks, live music, a raffle, and a chance to visit with the zoo’s more than 200 animals.

“With the combination of beer and animals, it’s no surprise that Brew at the Zoo has become our most anticipated event of the year,” said Gabry Tyson, assistant executive director of the Zoo in Forest Park. “We have both guests and vendors that return to Brew year after year.”

One of these reoccurring vendors is Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton. “We have been coming to Brew at the Zoo for three years now,” said Braeden Dion, the brewery’s sales manager. “It’s a well-run event, and the Homebrew Competition is a great addition to the fest. So many friendly faces and great people make this an event that Abandoned Building Brewery wouldn’t miss.”

Michael and Kerry Kennedy, a husband-wife team that run Beerfort Brewing in Agawam, have been participating in Brew at the Zoo’s Homebrew Competition — a portion of the event in which attendees and professional brewers vote on their favorite home brew — since 2023. Last year, they were awarded People’s Choice for their blueberry shandy.

“What sets Brew at the Zoo apart from other brew fests is the atmosphere,” Michael Kennedy said. “We are surrounded by animals and keepers introducing those animals to the crowd while we pour beer. That’s amazing — my favorite event of the year.”

A limited number of VIP tickets are available, which include extra time to sample the beer, as well as interactive animal encounters and keeper talks with members of the zoo’s animal care and education teams. The VIP timeslot runs from noon to 1:30 p.m., and tickets are limited.

The zoo will be closed to the public for this ticketed event on Aug. 2. Advance tickets are required, and all IDs will be checked at the door. No one under 21 will be admitted. For a list of participating breweries and to purchase tickets, visit www.forestparkzoo.org/brew.

SPRINGFIELD — The Zoo in Forest Park will host its sixth annual Brew at the Zoo on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

This 21+ event offers adults a unique way to enjoy the zoo with samples from more than 20 local breweries and home brewers, live music, food trucks, games, and a raffle, all while visiting with the animals at the zoo. Brew at the Zoo has become a fan favorite on the zoo’s event calendar, selling out each year. It is the zoo’s largest fundraiser, raising money for the daily care of more than 225 animals that live at the zoo year-round.

“We look forward to Brew at the Zoo all year,” said Sarah Tsitso, executive director of the Zoo in Forest Park. “This event raises much-needed funds that provide high-quality care for our animals, 365 days a year. The vast majority of our animal residents live here because they have been deemed non-releasable, for a variety of reasons, and thus would not survive on their own in the wild. It’s our job to take care of them.”

This work speaks directly to the zoo’s mission to inspire the community to respect and value the natural world through education, conservation, and rehabilitation.

A limited number of VIP tickets are available, which include extra time to sample the beer, as well as interactive animal encounters and keeper talks with members of the zoo’s animal-care and education teams. The VIP time slot runs from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The zoo will be closed to the public for this ticketed event on Aug. 3. Advance tickets are required, and all IDs will be checked at the door. No one under 21 will be admitted. For a list of participating breweries and to purchase tickets, visit www.forestparkzoo.org/brew.