PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

The Detroit Zoological Society’s annual Sunset at the Zoo fundraiser, presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions, is the hottest ticket in town for the coolest event of the summer.  Themed “Penguin Palooza” in celebration of the Detroit Zoo’s new Polk Penguin Conservation Center, Sunset takes place Friday, June 10, 2016, 7-11:30 p.m.  The 21-and-older event is held rain or shine and the Zoo closes at 1 p.m. that day in preparation for the festivities.

Sunset at the Zoo offers a strolling supper with tastes of signature dishes from 40 of the area’s finest restaurants as well as desserts and zoo-themed specialty drinks.  The event also features live music by The Simone Vitale Band, dancing under the stars, live and silent auctions, and access to many of the Zoo’s award-winning animal habitats as the sun goes down.  Attire is “summer chic”, and guests are encouraged to dress in black and white in celebration of penguins and the new penguin center.

Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.detroitzoo.org/sunset.  Supporter tickets are $175; Patron tickets are $300 and include a VIP Reception on June 10, 5:30-7 p.m., just prior to the main event.  Supporter and Patron tickets may be purchased at the gate the day of Sunset for $200 and $325, respectively.

The 33,000-square-foot Polk Penguin Conservation Center, which opened April 18, is the largest facility for penguins in the world.  It features a 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area where visitors can watch more than 80 penguins explore their habitat.  An underwater gallery and two acrylic underwater tunnels provide breathtaking views of the birds as they swim above, around and below.

Sunset at the Zoo is also supported by The Cotton Family, DeMaria, IBEW Local 58, Integrity Building Group, ITC Holdings, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, Quicken Loans and Title Source, Service Systems Associates, and Vivacqua Law.