LA Zoo Kicks Off Roaring Nights Summer Music Series

Groovy! The Los Angeles Zoo kicks off the summer with a Roaring Nights '60s Summer Safari for all ages in honor of the Zoo's 50th Anniversary "ZooLAbration" on Friday, June 23, 2017, from 6 to 10 pm. Guests can enjoy a rare after-hours evening at the Zoo, which is transformed into a rockin' beach bash featuring live bands Woodie and the Longboards and Detroit Nights, DJ Johnny Hawkes, special meet-and-greets with the Minions from Despicable Me 3, L.A.'s favorite food trucks, full-service bars, games, visits to L.A. Zoo animal habitats, including an expanded route open from 6 to 8 pm, pop-up "Then and Now" zookeeper talks and special animal encounters. Two additional Roaring Nights, both open to ages 18 and up only, follow with all-different lineups on Friday, July 21, 6 to 10 pm, spotlighting country music, and Friday, September 15, 6 to 10 pm, with a 1980-90s "Battle of the Decades."

Woodie and the Longboards delivers classic summertime surf sounds by The Beach Boys and other classic bands of the era, the Detroit Nights serve up Motown and '60s pop classics with style and D.J. Johnny Hawkes spins fun, eclectic sets with '60s rock hits and more. Food trucks include Baby's Burgers, Pico House, the Grilled Cheese Truck, Ragin Cajun, Lobsta Truck and Mandoline Grill. Full bars are available for guests 21 and older.

Roaring Nights, like all of the Zoo's nighttime events, supports the L.A. Zoo and its global conservation efforts. For the first time ever, the Zoo is kicking off its Roaring Nights series with an all-ages evening, so that the entire greater Los Angeles area community can take part in this special, themed celebration of 50 years of education, imagination, fun, and conservation. More information about the Zoo's 50th Anniversary is available at www.ZooLAbrate50.org.

ABOUT DESPICABLE ME 3
Illumination, who brought audiences Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters-Margo, Edith and Agnes-and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.

Roaring Nights is just one component of a yearlong "ZooLAbration" that began on November 28, 2016, which is the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens' opening at its current location. Throughout the 50th anniversary year, the Zoo is spotlighting not only its key role as a world-class destination and an important community asset but also its critical successes in conservation, quality of life and premier care for animals. Having recently completed a $172 million master plan which significantly improved the Zoo facility, the Zoo marks its 50th anniversary as it embarks upon developing a new Master Plan, which will serve as a road map for the future. The landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, drawing nearly 1.8 million visitors each year, is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered, as well as a botanical collection comprising over 800 different plant species with approximately 7,000 individual plants. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, the Zoo has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife. Its responsibility toward wildlife conservation not only encompasses safeguarding the animals in its care but also actively participating in the preservation of some of the world's most critically endangered species and their habitats. Its many conservation successes include having led the charge in saving California condors from extinction and restoring populations of these critically endangered animals to their native habitats. The Zoo's lush grounds on 113 acres feature Rainforest of the Americas, an extraordinary collection of endangered and exotic mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians living in spaces that exemplify their natural habitat in the rainforest biosphere; Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains, home to one of the largest troops of chimpanzees in the United States; Red Ape Rain Forest, where visitors can walk among orangutans; the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles); Elephants of Asia; Campo Gorilla Reserve; and one of the largest flocks of flamingos in any zoo in the world. Among other highlights are an extraordinary, hands-on Hippo Encounter and face-to-face Giraffe Feedings; the Winnick Family Children's Zoo and Muriel's Ranch animal contact area; the Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel; a variety of daily opportunities to learn more about animals, including close-up visits, special feedings and intriguing talks; and much more. The private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), which has supported the Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles for more than five decades and provides funding for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, has 60,000 member households representing more than 240,000 adults and children. As evidence of the Zoo's popularity, GLAZA attracts one of the largest membership bases of any cultural organization in Los Angeles.

Ticket prices are $20 for ages 13 and over ($17 for Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association members); $15 for ages 2 to 12 ($13 for Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association members); and kids younger than 2 are free.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles' Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Free parking is available. For additional information, contact call (323) 644-6001; tickets are available at http://www.lazoo.org/roaringnights.

Photo Credit: Jamie Pham