Tag Archives: adults

Wyoming’s own Two Guys Brewing featured brewery for John Ball Zoo adult events

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , , ,
There will be limited animal interactions during the Adult Night Out events, which kick off this Thursday. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

They have been a longtime member and this month, Wyoming’s Two Guys Brewing will be giving back to the John Ball Zoo by providing the zoo a specialty brew for its Adult Night Out event series.

“To be a part of this is just an honor,” said Two Guys Brewing owner Tom Payne.

Payne said the zoo was one of his family’s main sources of entertainment, especially during their times as a young struggling family.

“We would give the family the gift of a zoo membership,” Payne said. “We would do the Frederik Meijer Gardens, the Public Museum and the zoo. So it was three big bills at Christmas time but we would have entertainment throughout the entire year.”

Payne said they were approached by the zoo about the opportunity for the specialty brews because zoo officials had been impressed in how the brewing company handled the pandemic, working with residents by offering pack-and-go meals and other options.

 

The Adult Night Out series is designed to give guests age 21 and older the opportunity to experience the zoo at night without any kids. There will be select animal encounters for guests to enjoy, along with beer and wine selections.

 

Payne said the brewery decided to pair some of its well known beers with the themes of each program. For example, for this Thursday’s program, the John Ball Zoo will be featuring barbecue on its menu, something that Two Guys Brewing offers and that brewery’s IPA Mosaicquest pairs well with.

John Ball Zoo will be hosting six Adult Night Out evenings throughout the summer with Two Guys Brewing pairing a beer with each night’s theme. Besides this Thursday, there will be Adult Night Out events on  June 24, July 15 and 29, and August 12 and 26. Each Adult Night Out is from 6 to 9 p.m. The zoo offers four times to enter, 6 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 6:45 p.m.

Tickets for all dates are available online for $18 for members or $20 for non-members at jbzoo.org/AdultNightOut. Limited tickets are available for each evening, and capacity is limited, so the zoo officials highly recommends reserving tickets before the event. Walk-up tickets are not guaranteed.

 

John Ball Zoo is located 1300 Fulton St., about a mile west of downtown Grand Rapids. For more information about John Ball Zoo or upcoming activities, visit www.jbzoo.org, call 616-336-4301 or email info@jbzoo.org.

Adults 21 and older have the opportunity to enjoy the John Ball Zoo without children present during the Adult Night Out series. (Supplied)

John Ball Zoo hosts an adult night out Aug. 27

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , ,
Take a break from the little ones and hang with the adults of the John Ball Zoo. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By Darci David
John Ball Zoo

John Ball Zoo is hosting their second Adult Night Out of the season on Thursday, August 27th for those aged 21 and up looking for a fun date night or friend’s night out.

Adult Night Out gives attendees the opportunity to experience the Zoo at night, with adult beverages, and without any kids. Zoo staff will rotate throughout the Zoo in front of animal habitats helping guests learn more about the animals and the Zoo during the evening. To allow proper social distancing, no scheduled programming will occur.

Attendees can also enjoy the summer evening with beer selections, specialty drinks, and delicious food options, including the recently launched JBZ beer in partnership with Brewery Vivant.

The Thursday, August 27th Adult Night Out is 5:15 – 9:00 p.m. Limited tickets are available so the Zoo highly recommends reserving tickets before the event. The Zoo offers four times to enter at 5:15 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 6:15 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. to help with space for safe social distancing.

The John Ball Zoo is hosting an Adult Night Out event Aug. 27. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Tickets can be purchased online for $18 for members or $20 for non-members at jbzoo.org/AdultNightOut. Tickets could be available for those who walk-up but the Zoo cannot guarantee these will be available. The Zoo notes that the July Adult Night Out did sell out days in advance.

Masks will be required for those medically able when visiting their indoor habitats, and for outdoor areas where a 6 feet distance is not possible between other guests. The Zoo asks for guests to bring their own mask. John Ball Zoo is located on Fulton Ave., one mile west of downtown Grand Rapids. For questions or for more information, visit www.jbzoo.org, call (616) 336-4301 or email info@jbzoo.org.