Oktobearfest Philly Zoo

When it comes to beer festivals, it seems pretty tough to mess up. As long as there are plenty of breweries and styles represented, what could go wrong, right?

If the only beer festivals you attended were hosted by the Philadelphia Zoo, you would never find out what can actually go wrong at one of these festivals, aside from a few attendees getting a little rowdy.

Oktobearfest is the second beer festival each year hosted by the Philadelphia Zoo. The festival follows the Summer Ale Fest and, unsurprisingly, features many big-name and local breweries showcasing fall and winter beers, including tons of pumpkin beer and ciders.

The beer festivals at the zoo take place after the zoo’s normal daily operations. This gives guests the chance to see certain animals behaving differently due to the different time of day. For instance, it is much easier to see nocturnal animals at these festivals.

The zoo does a great job putting precautions in place to keep the animals and guests safe. With employees and workers stationed all over the zoo, it would be tough to do anything to get into too much trouble without immediately being stopped.

Beer festivals at the Philadelphia Zoo are typically split into several zones. Each zone homes several breweries and animals. The result is a festival where it is deceptively easy to hunker down and try every beer and ogle the same animals all night. Although this is something to consider, it is also not something you can blame the event for.

Oktobearfest and the Summer Ale Fest are excellent festivals well worth attending for anyone who likes beer or cider.

Philadelphia Zoo

3400 W. Girard Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19104