Finally!  The Santa Ana Zoo summer concert series is back with

Sunset at the Zoo!

"Sunset at the Zoo" is the Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo's annual concert series featuring great music by some of the best and most fun performers.

This year's series will open Sunday, June 14, with The Ron Kobayashi Trio playing some Jazz fusion with a funky flair, and covers of a few of your favorite contemporary tunes.

Next, on Sunday, June 28, is The Drew Simpson Trio.  Most of you will remember Drew from his band No Strings Attached.  The band's style is straight ahead jazz with some R&B and a little funk reminiscent of Stevie Wonder.

The big finale is on Sunday, July 19, with The Fabulous Peggie Perkins Band, accompanied by 2 time grammy winner Llew Matthews and a few other guests.  Peggie does Jazz standards, and contemporary tunes, and pretty much anything else anyone requests.  This show is a lot of fun!

A few of the bands have invited special guests to perform with them, so they may end up not being trios at all.

The "Sunset at the Zoo" series is one of the most unique events in Santa Ana.  Bring a comfy chair and pack a picnic supper to come enjoy great music on the lawn.  All the shows are a blast, and there is a lot more to see and do during the concert...


 
In addition to the show, several select art galleries from the artist districts in Santa Ana will be there showcasing some of their work.  Meet and greet the artists as you walk the party area.  They'll be there to give a little taste of what you might see at some of the district art walks.

The Zoo grounds will be open for you to go exploring, and see the animals at a time when most of the public doesn't get to enjoy them.  Animals are also brought out and circulated throughout the show grounds.  There is a separate kids area with crafts and other fun stuff.  Ride the Zoofari Express train around, and get an early look at the new exhibit, the Tierra de las Pampas, which will be finished later this year.  We'll bring dessert for everyone, or stop by the "Las Perlas del Amazonas" restaurant at the zoo for a little something.  You can spend the whole afternoon.

The Sunset concerts start at 5:30, and go til 7:30.
(Come early for a bonus Blues concert in the front lawn.  See the "Blues at the Zoo" blog for more info.)

Admission to the "Sunset at the Zoo" is only $10, ($5 for Zoo members.)  Become a Zoo member for this and other great discounts!
All proceeds from this series go to benefit The Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and will help us support the Zoo programs, new animals and exhibits, and other Zoo improvements and animal enrichments.

The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park is located at
1801 East Chestnut Avenue
Santa Ana, CA  92701
(conveniently located just off the 5 freeway)
Parking is free.

Save these dates now!
Sunday June 14, - The Ron Kobayashi Trio
Sunday June 28, - The Drew Simpson Trio
Sunday July 19,  - The Fabulous Peggie Perkins Band
5:30 - 7:30 pm

For more info on the Santa Ana Zoo, our special events, membership, and much more, see the website at www.santaanazoo.org 

The Santa Ana Zoo...

It's real Wild, Real Close.




www.santaanazoo.org

Blues at the Zoo!

Next, on June 28, check out Huge Blues.  They do Delta style Blues, plenty of slide guitar and a little harp (harmonica) from one of the most notorious harpsmen of our time, Brett "the Hit Man" Caplinger.  This is old school Blues, perfect for a Sunday Afternoon.

On July 19, you can see Mother Road.  Dirty water Blues, like you'd find on the back roads of Mississipi or Louisiana.  This is the sound that most people consider the heart of Americana Blues.  With "Old Son"  shouting the Blues, and Mitch Dow with Larry Jennings on the guitar.  This will be the big finale to the season.

Come early and explore the Zoo, maybe catch an animal show or feed the goats and sheep, ride the Zoofari Express train and the Conservation Carrousel, and then relax on the front lawn to a Sunday afternoon concert.  Bring a folding chair or blanket to kick back with friends and family festival style.  What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

"Blues at the Zoo" concerts start at 3:00 and go til 5:00.
This event is free to our Zoo guests with regular Zoo admission.  As always Zoo members get in Free!
(Regular Zoo admission is $7 adults, $4 kids/seniors, under 3 free) 

The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park is located at
1801 East Chestnut Avenue
Santa Ana, CA  92701
(conveniently located just off the 5 freeway)
Parking is free.

For more info on the Santa Ana Zoo, our special events, membership, and much more, see the website at www.santaanazoo.org

The Santa Ana Zoo...

It's real Wild, Real Close.




www.santaanazoo.org

Party for the Planet

An AZA nationwide event!

Join us at the Santa Ana Zoo on Saturday April 25 as we join over 100 AZA certified zoos and aquariums across North America celebrating the biggest collective Earth Day event in the nation!

The Party for the Planet is an all-Zoo event promoting conservation and the public is invited.  Various activities will take place from 11:00am-2:00pm.  There will be international crafts, compost demonstrations (with live worms!), a “Good Bugs & Bad Bugs” education station (with live bugs!), tips on recycling and green living, and a make your own birdfeeder craft!  All this will be going on in addition to face painting, carrousel & train rides, music, and so much more.  This is one party you won’t want to miss!

The Santa Ana Zoo is the only AZA certified zoo in Orange County.  This distinction allows us to bring in animals and exhibits from other AZA facilities, and ensures a good quality of life for the animals in our care.  We also partner with other conservation agencies throughout the world to help guarantee that endangered species are given a better chance to survive, and promote animal and habitat conservation.

Help us celebrate Earth Day, and maybe learn a thing or two about conservation, recycling, and taking better care of our planet in the process.

When:     April 25, 2009   11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Where:    The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park
                1801 East Chestnut Avenue
                Santa Ana, CA  92701
                (conveniently located just off the 5 fwy.)

Zoo admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children/seniors, under age 3 free
 
See the website for info on the Zoo, other great Zoo events, membership, and more....

www.santaanazoo.org


The Santa Ana Zoo, It's Real Wild, Real Close...
 
 

 

ZOO BABIES!

The Santa Ana Zoo is proud to announce the birth of two Golden Lion Tamarins. The babies are healthy and doing well.

The young Golden Lion Tamarins will ride on the mother's back until they are old enought to venture out alone.  This is the second set of Golden Lion Tamarins born at the Zoo this year.  (Another pair was born January 20, 2009)  Our monkeys must be incredibly happy at the Zoo and comfortable in their environment to mate like this.

These monkeys are bred at the Santa Ana Zoo as part of an international Species Survival Program.

Golden Lion Tamarins are native to rainforests on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, and are considered endangered due to fragmentation of their habitat.  Much of the land has been devastated by logging or plowed under for agricultural uses.  It is estimated that the remaining habitat is about 2% of what it was originally.  For this reason, this species no loner propogates in the wild and is in danger of extinction.

The proud first time parents and their babies have been given special privacy and are not on public display at this time, but they'll be back soon!  

The Santa Ana Zoo,

It's Real Wild, Real Close

www.santaanazoo.org 

Sheep Shearing Festival

Summer's coming, and on Tuesday, March 28, the Santa Ana Zoo will be getting our sheep ready with the annual Sheep Shearing Festival.

This is an educational event, attended by hundreds of kids every year.  Come see a demonstration as the sheep are sheared, and then learn how the wool is used; spun and then made into fabric.  This presentation is appropriate for children of all ages.

The event runs from 9:00 a.m. til approximately noon.

Enjoy!

www.santaanazoo.org

Happy Birthday!

On March 7th and 8th, the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park will be celebrating 57 wonderful years of conservation and preservation.

All those years ago, when Joseph Prentice donated the land and required that the Zoo maintain 50 monkeys, I think he had no idea of the magnitude of what he gave the public.  The Santa Ana Zoo has grown into a place to promote species survival, educate the next generation on the importance of conservation and preservation, and provides homes for animals that might not otherwise be able to survive.  It has become a place for children of all ages to grow, learn, and have fun.

To celebrate this great resource, we will be celebrating the Zoo's 57th birthday for an entire weekend.

We'll have some live entertainment, games, children's crafts, animal shows and animal encounters, and one of JAZZOO's favorite, trains!  Check out a huge exhibit by the Del Oro Pacific Model Railroad Club on the front lawn, and other train exhibits around children's zoo.  Ride our own Zoofari Express train ride, or the new Conservation Carrousel.

The party starts at 11:00 a.m. and goes til 2:00 p.m. both days, so come early and stay late!  This event is free with the price of admission and, as always, Zoo members get in for free.  For information how to become a member, check out our website at:
www.santaanazoo.org

See you there!
-JAZZOO
 
The Santa Ana Zoo...
It's Real Wild, Real Close 

June 14, 2009

June 28, 2009

July 19, 2009

All the shows are on Sundays, are in the afternoon and early evening, and are intended for all ages.  Come see a concert and enjoy the Zoo for one low price.  This year, we plan to include a new art exhibition, with a lot of new artists and cool stuff to enjoy while listening to the bands.  Free rides on the Zoofari Express train ride, and of course, some animals will come out to play.  Big, cool fun!

We haven't finalized the performers yet, but our guests from last year have requested the Fabulous Peggie Perkins to come back, and we expect to see the Mighty Mojo Prophets headlining an afternoon of Blues.  The Zoo is a truly unique venue for a concert, and there's plenty to see and do in addition to the music.

Again, mark your calendar now!  Plan to bring a picnic supper and a handful of friends, and we'll all have a great time.
More info will be available on our website www.santaanazoo.org as it becomes available.

The Santa Ana Zoo,

It's Real Wild, Real Close!

(and Real Fun!)