Tom Mankiewicz News

L.A. ZOO LIGHTS returns with more lights and more nights of dazzling magic for its third spectacular year as it kicks off a 'ZooLAbration' of the Los Angeles Zoo's 50th Anniversary on Friday, November 18, 2016, and remains open for seven awe-inspiring weeks through Sunday, January 8, 2017, under the stars at the L.A. Zoo.  Awarded USA Today's 2015 '10 Best Zoo Lights' honor, L.A. Zoo Lights sets the Zoo aglow in wonder and delight to top everyone's 'holiday must' destination list with a fanciful menagerie of animal characters brought to 'life,' LED lights by the thousands, giant illuminated snowflakes, a 'red-carpet' 50th Anniversary party celebrating the Zoo's Golden Year, a disco ball forest, glittering twinkle tunnels, stunning 3-D animated projections, and much more. 

The 6th Annual Brew at the L.A. Zoo, one of summer's most popular events for guests 21 and over, returns today, August 5, 2016, 7 to 11 pm, featuring an after-hours visit to the Zoo with 5 oz beer samples from 40+ local craft and microbreweries, live music, dancing and an overflowing slate of fun. 

The 6th Annual Brew at the L.A. Zoo, one of summer's most popular events for guests 21 and over, returns on Friday, August 5, 2016, 7 to 11 pm, featuring an after-hours visit to the Zoo with 5 oz beer samples from 40+ local craft and microbreweries, live music, dancing and an overflowing slate of fun. 

The Los Angeles Zoo's Roaring Nights music series keeps the summer cookin' with a party for ages 18 and up that transforms the evening into one big Sweet-Home-California Country Nation on Friday, July 29, 2016, 7 to 11 pm.  Live music by Highway Starr, Southern California's premier modern country band, features today's hottest hits as well as a splash of yesterday's favorites from Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Eric Church and more.  Also performing are the Rocky Neck Bluegrass Band, delivering fresh arrangements of traditional and modern songs with mandolin, fiddle and guitar, and Grant Langston and the Supermodels, combining the deep country music traditions of North Alabama with the telecaster twang of California roots and Americana.  Line dancing classes taught by Kerry Kick, celebrated as 'Orange County's Best Line Dance Instructor,' make it 'My Kinda Party,' as do L.A.'s favorite food trucks, full-service bars, a Game Lawn with horseshoes, cornhole and a Texas-size (read: giant) version of Jenga, plus a "Paint Party" for guests to paint their favorite critter on a small canvas to take home as a souvenir.  The fun continues with pop-up zookeeper talks, animal encounters and visits to animal habitats.  Guests whose get-ups are deemed the boot-scootin' best win a costume contest, and everyone comes face-to-face with a special nighttime round-up of the life-size, lifelike prehistoric varmints of Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo.

A salute to 1980s music with tributes to David Bowie and Prince has been added to the Roaring Nights lineup in September by the Los Angeles Zoo during its slate of six unforgettable summer evenings, including the popular four-part 'Roaring Nights' Summer Music Series and 'Brew at the L.A. Zoo,' both for adults only, and 'Family Jam at the L.A. Zoo' for youngsters and families. 

FAMILY JAM AT THE L.A. ZOO, an after-hours opportunity for families to let their sense of adventure run wild, is set for Saturday, July 9, 2016, 6 to 9 pm, at the Zoo, with the theme 'Dinos, Dragons & Dancing.' Spotlighting Disney's upcoming theatrical release Pete's Dragon, the event includes a one-of-a-kind opportunity to follow clues in search of gifts, a family photo-op, and the chance to see the Zoo's very own resident Komodo and bearded dragons. Live music, karaoke, a DJ Dance Party, crafts and games are part of the fun, along with a Paint Party providing the opportunity to commemorate the Family Jam experience with a canvas to take home. There are also up-close encounters with some of the Zoo's smaller residents, keeper talks and viewing of some popular animal exhibits. Headlining the entertainment is Close Encounters, a live karaoke band, and dinner or snacks are available for purchase from popular food trucks. Visitors start the evening with 'oohs and ahhs' as they come face-to-face with the life-size, lifelike prehistoric creatures of Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo. They'll leave the event, which is sponsored by 99 Cents Only Stores, Disney's Pete's Dragon, and Solar Optimum, with souvenirs (available while supplies last), smiles and memories to last a lifetime.

The Los Angeles Zoo's Roaring Nights summer music series for ages 18 and up kicks off with an evening that promises to be as 'tight' as it is 'all that and a bag of chips' on Friday, June 24, 2016, 7 to 11 pm. For one night only, the L.A. Zoo brings back the 1990s with hits from the likes of the Back Street Boys, Goo Goo Dolls, Smash Mouth, Weezer, Blink-182 and Alanis Morissette performed live by cover band Saved By The 90's, plus the best grunge, pop, and house tunes spun artfully by multi-genre-loving DJ Johnny Hawkes, and 'dopest' beats served up at the Hip Hop Lounge. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress in fashions of the era, with the best outfits being rewarded at a costume contest. To complete the flashback experience, guests can pose for photos in front of a 'Jurassic jeep' inspired by Jurassic Park, one of the biggest movies of the decade, before coming face-to-face with the life-size, lifelike prehistoric creatures of Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo.

A salute to 1980s music with tributes to David Bowie and Prince has been added to the Roaring Nights lineup in September by the Los Angeles Zoo during its slate of six unforgettable summer evenings, including the popular four-part 'Roaring Nights' Summer Music Series and 'Brew at the L.A. Zoo,' both for adults only, and 'Family Jam at the L.A. Zoo' for youngsters and families. 

Sizzling summer nights just got a lot cooler at the Los Angeles Zoo, which brings people together through music, food, craft beer and wildlife at five unforgettable evenings for adults and one for families, including the popular three-part 'Roaring Nights' Summer Music Series, 'Family Jam at the L.A. Zoo,' and 'Brew at the L.A. Zoo.' Guests at all six evenings will experience after-hours viewing of popular animal exhibits and up-close encounters with smaller creatures.

The Los Angeles Zoo's new WILD FOR THE PLANET debuts on Saturday, April 23 in celebration of 'Earth Day” and runs on five weekends, concluding Sunday, May 22, 2016, following 'Endangered Species Day,” with activities, fun and information that all spotlight the importance of protecting the environment and its creatures.  Adults and youngsters can enjoy a day at the Zoo, home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered, with special opportunities, entertainment, information and tips about everyday ways to sustain and preserve.  Wild for the Planet takes place on April 23/24, April 30/May 1, May 7/8, May 14/15 and May 21/22, from 10 am to 4 pm.  All activities are included with paid Zoo admission.

Lurking impatiently in a once off-limits corner of the Los Angeles Zoo, a ferocious pack of 17 life-size, life-like prehistoric creatures await the opening of DINOSAURS: UNEXTINCT AT THE L.A. ZOO, a spectacular, all-new exhibit, on April 15, 2016.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens hosts PBS SoCal KIDS Weekend at the Los Angeles Zoo on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday April 10, 2016, 10 am to 4 pm.  The event fills the Zoo's Eucalyptus Grove with a variety of engaging fun for families with book readings, themed crafts, activities and a kids' dance party.  Guest also enjoy a special opportunity to take photos with PBS KIDS characters Curious George and Buddy the Dinosaur from Dinosaur Train.  Curious George is available for photos between 10 am and 1 pm, and Buddy is available between 1 pm and 4 pm.  PBS SoCal KIDS Weekend is free with paid admission to the L.A. Zoo.  

What's it like to be up-close to a hippo?  Have you ever wondered how their skin feels?  Or what they eat for lunch?  Why they spend so much time in the water?  How fast they run?  Are they endangered?  Find out at the Los Angeles Zoo's new HIPPO ENCOUNTER, an extraordinary, hands-on opportunity every weekend and holiday, 12 noon, at the L.A. Zoo and Botanical Gardens. 

Tom Soter has written a witty and perceptive collection of books in the past year, all while working a 9 to 5 job, running a 25-year-old weekly improv comedy jam, and teaching three improv classes a week. He has also had to deal with Parkinson's disease for the past 11 years. How does he do it?

Although the Los Angeles Zoo is best known as one of Southern California's most family-friendly destinations, adults take their turn with a wild Valentine's Day celebration at SEX AND THE CITY ZOO dedicated to romance in the animal kingdom on Saturday, February 13, 2016, 5 to 7 pm, in the Zoo's Witherbee Auditorium.  The lighthearted affair for ages 21 and up begins with a reception from 5 to 6 pm featuring decadent refreshments, tempting desserts, alluring wines and “animal walk-abouts,' which include chats with keepers and the chance to observe small animals up close.  At the heart of the evening is a provocative “birds and bees” presentation and Q & A from 6 to 7 pm about animal dating, mating and cohabitating by L.A. Zoo General Curator Beth Schaefer, and the event climaxes with an intimate three-course dinner (from 7 to 9 pm for an additional fee) at Reggie's Bistro inside the Zoo.  

L.A. ZOO LIGHTS, which heralds a new standard for nighttime holiday magic at the Los Angeles Zoo from Friday, November 27, 2015, through Sunday, January 3, 2016, presents two 'VIP Experiences' during its run, an exclusive HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR for the 21-and-up crowd on December 10, and a FAMILY NEW YEAR'S EVE for all ages.  An instant hit when it debuted last year, attracting more than 170,000 people, L.A. Zoo Lights has been nominated in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards as a contender for 'Best Zoo Lights 2015.'

The Los Angeles Zoo presents a rare opportunity to see live reindeer at its Reindeer Romp Holiday Celebration, which debuts Friday November 27, 2015, and runs through January 3, 2016 (except Christmas Day),10 am to 4 pm.

'Whether your kids are toddlers or tweens, there's a class for your family,' says Heather Shields, Los Angeles Zoo Education Manager. 'A main part of the Zoo's mission is to provide and promote connections between people and wildlife, so our classes are not only engaging and fun, but they also offer in-depth information about the Zoo's animals, biodiversity, and the world in which we live.'

With the flick of a switch that illuminates a dazzling wonderland, L.A. ZOO LIGHTS returns bigger, better and even more spectacular as it heralds a new standard for nighttime magic at the Los Angeles Zoo from Friday, November 27, 2015, through Sunday, January 3, 2016. 

The 26th Annual L.A. Zoo Photo Day, presented by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) and Paul's Photo, features one-of-a-kind photo opportunities for film and digital photographers of all ages and skill levels on Sunday, November 8, 2015, 7:30 am to 4 pm.