Philly Zoo's Annual Summer Ale Festival: What You Need To Know

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Zoo next weekend will host the city's largest beer festival of the year.

On July 19, the zoo is bringing more than 100 award-winning craft beers, ciders, hard iced teas, hard seltzers, local food trucks and live music to its 42-acre campus for the Philadelphia Zoo Summer Ale Festival.

The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., with VIP early access at 6 p.m. and taps closing at 9:30 p.m.

The 2025 music line-up on the Impala Stage includes Ridge Runners, Kind Hearted Strangers, and Nik Greeley and the Operators. DJ Quigs and DJ Corey will also be spinning tunes around the zoo.

This year’s beverage lineup includes newcomers like Vault Brewing, Jersey Girl Brewing, Wild Air Brewing, Toms River Brewing, Flying Fish and more. Non-beer beverages include Stateside Seltzer, Sea Isle Ice Tea, Downeast Cider and more.

Local food trucks such as Chickie’s and Pete’s, Mac Mart, Loaded Tots, Many Hands Coffee, Bacon on a Stick, and more will be serving up specials, as well.

Full lists of participating breweries, food vendors, and performances featured are below.

Tickets are on sale now exclusively through the zoo’s website. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.

Every guest will get a complimentary branded souvenir tasting glass. There are also tickets for designated drivers and non-drinkers.

Summer Ale Fest serves as a fundraiser and supports Philadelphia Zoo in its mission to create joyful discovery and inspire action for animals and habitats.

"Summer Ale Festival has become one of the must-attend events of summer in Philadelphia," Vice President of Marketing and Communications Patrick McMaster said. "This year, we’re really revving up the party atmosphere with a brand-new lineup of musical performances on Impala Stage, as well as DJs around the Zoo. Plus, we’ll have the best the region has to offer in local beverages and food, but most important of all, every ticket sale directly supports the care of the Zoo’s 1,900 animals."

The Summer Ale Fest is limited to those 21 or older with valid identification; no children, including infants, are permitted.

This is a rain or shine event.

Attendees can take advantage of complimentary parking at the zoo. There will not be a complimentary shuttle from 30th Street Station this year.

Participating breweries:

2Moods Vodka Seltzer

• Vodka Orange Crush Chill (Seltzer)
• Vodka Orange Crush Thrill (Seltzer)

Angry Orchard

• Angry Orchard Variety (Cider)

Axe and Arrow

• Strawberry Lime Sour (Sour)
• Waffle Cones (Vanilla Cream Ale)

Beatbox Brew ("Party Punch")

• Blueberry Lemonade (RTD Cocktail)
• Green Apple (RTD Cocktail)

Bellefonte

• To be determined

Big Oyster Brewery

• Bite Me Watermelon Gose (Sour Wheat Ale)
• Hammer Head (West Coast IPA)

Bovinos Brewery

• Blood Orange IPA (IPA)
• Mango Ale (Ale)

Broad Street Brewing

• Broad Street Lime (American Lager)
• Cherry Lime (Sour)
• Hey Yo (Hazy)
• Wild Patch (Blond Ale)

Cartesian Brewing

• Central Phila (Pilsner)
• Oftener – Session (Bitter)

Chestnut Hill Brewing Company

• IPA
• Pale Ale

Conshohocken Brewing Company

• Ring the Bell (Lager)
• Type A IPA (West Coast IPA)

CT Valley Brewing

• Skyward Wheat (American Pale Wheat Ale)
• East Coast NE IPA (NE IPA)

Dock Street Brewery

• To be determined

Double Nickel Brewing Co.

• Sour Daddy Supreme (Sour)
• Vienna Lager (Vienna Lager)

Escape Goat

• Black Cherry Crush (Seltzer)
• Grapefruit Crush (Seltzer)
• Mango Crush (Seltzer)
• Orange Crush (Seltzer)

Erie Brewing Company

• Cherry Bomb (Sour Cherry Ale)
• Soleil Shandy (Shandy)

Ever Grain Brewing Co.

• Joose Juicy (IPA)
• Sorbetto #93 (Sour)

Evil Genius

• Stacy’s Mom (IPA)
• There’s No Crying in Baseball (Hazy IPA)

Fegley's Brew Works

• To be determined

Fishtown Iced Tea

• Iced Tea (Long Island Iced Tea)
• SBB Victory Pearl Red Berry Smash (RTD- Vodka)

Flying Fish

• Breezy Bones (Pale Ale)
• Farmhouse (Summer Ale)

Farm Truck

• To be determined

Happy Dad

• Fruit Punch (Seltzer)
• Grape (Seltzer)

Imprint Beer Co.

• Double IPA (Double IPA)
• Schmoojee (Fruited Sour – Smoothie-Style)

Jersey Girl Brewing

• King Gambrinus Tripel (Belgian Tripel)
• Love Potion #9 (Pineapple Hefeweizen)

Last Wave Brewing Co.

• A Frame (NEIPA)
• Surfer’s Blood (Raspberry Lemonade Sour)

La Cabra Brewing

• Hipster Catnip (IPA)
• Lawn Jawn Lager (Lager)

Lost Time

• To be determined

MudHen

• To be determined

Neck of the Woods

• Jaws Jawn (Pilsner)
• Pink Guava Lime Gose (Sour - Traditional Gose)

New Ridge Brewing

• To be determined

Neshaminy Creek

• To be determined

Nice Things Beverages

• Tequila Transfusion (RTD)

Punch Buggy Brewing

• To be determined

Requiem

• To be determined

Revolution Bees

• Hoppy Buzz (Mead)
• Lemon & Basil Buzz (Mead)
• Passion Fruit Buzz (Mead)
• Strawberry Buzz (Mead)

Rupee

• To be determined

Sam Adams

• Just the Haze (NA Hazy IPA)
• Summer Variety (Seasonal Variety Pack)

Sea Isle Iced Tea

• Iced Tea (Hard Iced Tea)
• Half and Half (Hard Iced Tea)

Slack Tide

• To be determined

Spellbound Brewing

• To be determined

Spring House Brewing Company

• Commander Salamander (Sour)
• Grease The Poles (Lager)

Stateside

• Green Tea + Vodka (Seltzer)
• Raspberry Tea + Vodka (Seltzer)
• Strawberry Lemonade + Vodka (Seltzer)

Swedesboro Brewing Company

• Cabin Fever (Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter)
• New Sweden Blonde Shandy (Summer Shandy)
• Shoobie (Pineapple Habanero Beer)
• Trash Panda (Hazy IPA, Galaxy Hops)

Ten7 Brewing Company

• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (IPA)
• Un Poco Loco (Lager)

Three 3's Brewing

• Back to Reality (NEIPA)
• Blue Horizon (Blueberry Kolsch)

Toms River Brewing

• Fzct Czech (Czech / Bohemian Pilsner style)
• Irish (Red Ale)

Triple Bottom Brewing Co.

• Lager (Lager)
• IPA (IPA)

Truly

• Truly Unruly VP (Hard Cider Variety Pack)

Twisted Tea

• Twisted Tea Mix Variety (Hard Iced Tea)

Von C

• Further (West Coast IPA)
• Pig Dog (Pale Ale)

Urban Village Brewing Company

• To be determined

Warsteiner

• Dunkle (German Lager)
• Verum (Pilsner

Warwick Farm Brewing

• DDH Citra Sensation (Hazy IPA)
• Orange Crush (Lager/Shandy)

White Claw

• Grape (Seltzer)
• Green Apple (Seltzer)
• Watermelon (Seltzer)

Widowmaker

• To be determined

Wild Air Brewing

• Beautiful Little Fool (Mango Sour)
• Happiness Machine (Kolsch)

Wissahickon Brewing Company

• Hail Mary (IPA)
• Wigwam (Hazy Pale Ale)

Workhorse Brewing Co.

• K Lot (Indian Pale Ale)
• Speckled Stream (Hazy IPA)

Yards

• Grapefruit (Pale Ale)
• Trash Talk (IPA)

Participating food vendors:

• Bacon on a Stick
• BYZ Empire
• Calle Del Sabor
• Chickie’s & Pete’s
• Loaded Tots
• Mac Mart
• Many Hands Coffee
• The Little Sicilian
• The Pasta Truck

Music performance schedule:

Impala Stage:

• 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Ridge Runners
• 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. — Kind Hearted Strangers
• 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Nik Greeley and the Operators

Bird Lake Plaza

• 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. — DJ Quigs (plus a photo booth!)

Backyard Kitchen

• 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. — DJ Corey