PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

The Detroit Zoo’s mobile bidding option for the Sunset at the Zoo silent auction begins June 1, 2016.  Bidders can submit offers in advance on their smartphones through GiveSmart and need not be present at the event on June 10 to participate.

More than 40 silent auction items are up for bid at Sunset, including front-row seats at a Detroit Tigers game, a night’s stay at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, his-and-hers shopping spree, and a chef-prepared sushi and sake night at home.  Sponsored by Integrity Building Group, the auction also features such “zoonique” experiences as the opportunity to have breakfast with the butterflies, mingle with the macaronis and rendezvous with the rhinos at the Detroit Zoo.

To view the complete catalog of silent auction items and participate in mobile bidding, visit www.detroitzoo.org/sunset/auctions.  Bidding will close at 10:30 p.m. on June 10; winners will be announced shortly thereafter and will receive a confirmation text on their phones.

Themed “Penguin Palooza” in celebration of the Detroit Zoo’s new Polk Penguin Conservation Center, Sunset at the Zoo takes place from 7 to 11:30 p.m., rain or shine.  The Zoo closes at 1 p.m. on June 10 in preparation for the festivities.

Presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions, Sunset offers a strolling supper with tastes of signature dishes from more than 50 of the area’s finest restaurants and distributors as well as desserts and zoo-themed specialty drinks.  The event also features a live auction, live entertainment, dancing under the stars and access to many of the Zoo’s award-winning animal habitats as the sun goes down.

Supporter tickets for the 21-and-older soiree are $175 per person; patron tickets are $300 and include a VIP reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on June 10.  Supporter and Patron tickets may be purchased at the gate the day of Sunset for $200 and $325, respectively.  For information and tickets, visit www.detroitzoo.org/sunset.