Sunset Safari Kansas City Zoo Friday Night

Tonight will be a fun night at The Kansas City Zoo when they open the zoo up for Sunset Safari. The zoo will be open special hours tonight from 4pm to 8pm and it will feature dueling pianos from 5pm - 7pm as well as the following exhibits:

4:00 -7:30 p.m. Visit the Lorikeets 4:30 p.m. Tiger chat 5:00 p.m. Sea Lion Show 5:30 p.m. Tropics Chat 6:00 p.m. Elephant Demo 6:30 p.m. Discovery Barn Chat – upstairs 7:00 p.m. Polar Bear Chat 7:30 p.m. River Otter Chat

Sunset Safari is a great way to support The Kansas City Zoo and the animals. Sunset Safari is free for Friends of the Zoo Members and only $6 for non-members. Becoming a Friends of the Zoo Member has several benefits, sign up for membership here and support The Kansas City Zoo!

Jazzoo 2011 at the Kansas City Zoo Friday June 3rd

Jazzoo 2011, Kansas City's largest charity event, gets underway at 6:30pm Friday night.  Jazzoo 2011 tickets are still on sale and range in price from $175.00 for an individual ticket all the way up to $15,000.00 for a group donation package.  We opted this year for the corporate package and will be sponsoring The Kansas City Zoo for the 4th year in a row.  We have requested that our donation go toward the Panther cage as that cage is the most pathetic cage in the entire zoo, (although we know that we cannot "direct" our donation dollars, we joke about this situation with the FOTZ every year - sometimes over the microphone on the main stage).

Information about Jazzoo 2013

Entertainment for Jazzoo 2011 will feature local 80's tribute band The Zeros, who have requested their own stage this year to separate their fans from the old folks who typically stay near the main stage.  We interviewed "Shawn Zero", The Zeros band leader and he remarked about last year's Jazzoo problems with The Zeros sharing the main stage with elder band ELO.  "Yeah, we opened up for ELO, or whatever they are calling themselves, they weren't even the real ELO, more like an ELO tribute band with most of the original members long gone [notably the band's founder, main songwriter and lead singer Jeff Lynne] and they were bitchin' at us about our stage show.  We had our light boxes on the stage for the hot girls to dance on and they were backstage throwing a fit about it.  The manager was yelling at us trying to get us to get the girls off the stage but we were like 'hey man, this is part of our show, you old fuckers are just going to have to deal with it'."  So this year, The Zeros were given their very own stage.  The entertainment on the old folks stage for Jazzoo 2011 will feature The Little River Band and The Rainmakers.

Jazzoo 2011 will once again feature a wide array of Kansas City cuisine, represented by over 50 Kansas City restaurants including The Oak Room Intercontinental, The Skies Restaurant, and one of our favorite plaza fine dining restaurants Fogo De Chao.  It will be a hot one out there so dress appropriately.  Dress at Jazzoo is notoriously referred to as Creative Black Tie, you are supposed to improvise on some form of tuxedo or formal wear.  You will definitely see some strange get-ups at Jazzoo 2011, and some of them will probably be us.  See you all there!

Kansas City Zoo Events - Flights for Flippers

Dueling Pianos, Polar Bears, and Prizes at The Zoo!
by Kansas City News

Come out to The Kansas City Zoo after work on Wednesday May 18th and celebrate "Flights for Flippers", a charity event to benefit, well, animals with flippers.  The event will be fully stocked with great atmosphere, cold beer, wine tasting, savory appetizers from Ciao Bella, visit Nikita at Polar Bear Passage, enter to win fabulous prizes like a Kansas City Royals Prize Pack, a 2011 FOTZ Membership, a Gift Certificate to Ciao Bella plus...

DUELING PIANOS!
That's right folks, dueling pianos at The Zoo!  We will have lots of fun so don't miss out.  These guys are amazing!

Tickets are $20 for Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ) Members and $30 for Non-FOTZ Members. Become a Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ) Member Today to earn the $10 per person discount to Flights for Flippers! 

This event is sponsored by Friends of the Zoo, Adam Blue Productions, and Ciao Bella.

***Please note that this is a 21 and older event. No refunds will be given after registration closes; however, you may transfer your tickets to another name.

Location
Kansas City Zoo
6800 Zoo Dr.
Kansas City, MO  64132
map

Contact Information
Marketing
marketing@fotzkc.org
816.513.5800

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Kansas City Zoo Meerkat Mystery Solved

Jacob Bradley and Justin Santhuff thought they were going to the Kansas City Zoo to steal a cuddly, unique pet. On November 4th, the two knuckleheads went to the Zoo with a stroller and a cage hidden under the blanket. Santhuff allegedly jumped into the open air Meerkat exhibit in the Africa section of the Zoo and grabbed one of the Meerkats. They put it in the cage and pushed it out of the Zoo. Mission Accomplished.

Problem is, of course, Meerkats are wild animals and don't make good pets as our fine young Kansas Citians soon discovered. On the way home, Santhuff appenrently made a comment about how cute the little guy was and was promptly bitten harshly on the finger. The fellows took the Meerkat to the Trailer Park (big suprise) where they lived and kept it in a glass aquarium. They fed it cat food, but soon realized what smelly little bastards Meerkats are. They dropped the little guy off at an area pet store - the pet shop notified the Zoo - and the Meerkat was home.

These two morons probably would have gotten away with it if they hadn't bragged about it on the Facebook page (as you do). They now sit in Jail under a $5000 bond each. Both are charged with one count of Felony Theft.

Rampaging Chimp to go to Kansas City Zoo

If you haven't heard, Sue, the pet chimpanzee, went on a rampage in a South Kansas City neighborhood on Tuesday. Sue freed herself from her owner's truck, made obscene gestures at pedestrians, and damaged a police cruiser before being shot with a tranquilizer gun by Kansas City Animal Control. Her owner, Mark Archigo has had run ins with the law over his chimp for years. The city had confiscated the animal first in 1995 - at that time the zoo had made progress in assimilating Sue into the chimp population. Also, after another incident where Sue picked up a girl by the ankles and tossed her, the animal was supposed to be turned over, but never was. The seriousness of the situation has been highlighted by the horrific attack on a Connecticut woman in February of 2009.

Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff said the assimilation process could take months of even years. Sue would have to learn to be a chimpanzee again. Eat chimp food like a chimp, not off a plate - she must also get used to being around other chimps and the social structure that comes with it. A city spokesman said the only other alternative was to euthanize the animal. The city is on strong legal footing this time around since there is a history of problems with the animal.

Sue could go to the Zoo as early as today to begin her long journey back to being a chimp. She could live up to another 30 years in captivity. Hopefully her assimilation process goes smoothly, but she certainly can have a better life with other chimps rather than caged in a truck. By the way, Kansas City residents can visit the Zoo for free through the month of November!

Kansas City Zoo Offering Free Admission To Kansas City Residents

Kansas City Zoo Offering Free Admission To Kansas City Residents

Once again this year, The Kansas City Zoo will be offering free admission to Kansas City, MO residents for the entire month of October and November. The deal is good any day during normal business hours. You need to provide a photo identification, and proof of residency consisting of utility bill, credit card bill, or some other official correspondence. Normal hours are 9:30AM - 4:00PM on weekdays, and weekends the Zoo closes at 5:00PM.

For those of you who have not been to the Kansas City Zoo lately, they have made lots of improvements in the last several years. The most recent of which is the Polar Bear Passage - a state of the Art Polar Bear Exhibit that houses "Nikita", a three year old male. It has a large chilled water pool for swimming and observation areas from three angles. Pretty cool.

The Africa region of the Zoo is excellent also, in fact it was rated #1 in the country according to "America's Best Zoos 2008". The African Exhibit is 95 acres and represents animals from 5 countries. It includes quite a large family of Chimpanzees, a gorilla, an african plains exhibit that houses Zebras, Giraffes and others.

I highly recommend our city's zoo, if you like it, come back again - you can get an annual zoo membership for $79 - this incudes FREE admission for your whole family for an entire year. Normal admission prices are $11.50 for adults, and $8.50 for kids over 3. For other Kansas City Events and things to do click here.

American Royal Barbecue Fires Up Today

American Royal Barbecue Fires Up Today

The 31st Annual American Royal Barbecue starts Thursday and continues through this Sunday October 3rd. Known as the "World Series of Barbecue" the American Royal is the largest Barbecue competition in the world! There are over 500 contestants in several different categories including brisket, ribs, sauce, dessert and many others. The event is open to the public starting Friday. Tickets are $13 and kids under 5 are free.

Activities include live music - with all the local favorites - such as Blues artists Samantha Fish and Trampled Under Foot. Tribute bands to Lynard Skynard, Journey, and The Beatles will also perform. You can check out a schedule of Live entertainment here. Of course there will be a Kids Fun Fest Area with activities for the children including a petting zoo. you can sample Barbecue and have a couple of beers as well. A Texas Hold-em Tournament will also be held Saturday night at 7PM. A $65 donation is required to participate in the poker tournament, you can register here. And with no Chiefs game (or Missouri Tigers, not that they would be on TV anyway) this weekend, it will give you something to do on Saturday and Sunday.

Kansas City Charity Events - 2010 Charity Fundraisers in Kansas City

Kansas City Charity Events - 2010 Fundraisers

Kansas City is known for having some of the biggest and brightest charity fundraisers in the nation, but if you're not paying attention you might miss them. That's why we at Kansas City News dot pro are going to give you the skinny:

Bacchus Black Ball

Charity - The Bacchus Foundation
Event Location - The Madrid Theatre
Event Date - February 6th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie
Cost - $100 per person - $175 per couple

The 55th Annual Bacchus Ball will be held this year at The Madrid Theatre and will feature live entertainment by Kansas City's favorite 80's band, The Zeros.

Horizon Academy's Bayou Bash

Charity - Horizon Academy Kansas City
Event Location - Starlight Theater
Event Date - Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Attire - New Orleans Mardi Gras Theme
Cost - $115 per ticket (sponsorship available)

Horizon Academy will hold their 6th annual Bayou Bash this year at Starlight Theater. Auction items will include a "Pick Your Destination" vacation, a "Las Vegas, Baby" getaway, and other great items. Entertainment for the event has not yet been announced as Starlight Theater coordinator Lindsey Rood denied Horizen Academy's request for their choice of entertainment.

Code Red 2010 - The Millennial League

Charity - AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Event Location - Madrid Theatre
Event Date - Friday, February 12th, 2010
Attire - Business Casual to Black Tie
Cost - $20 general admission, $75 VIP
Purchase Tickets to Code Red 2010 Event

The Millennial League is targeted toward young business professionals (although the spokeswoman that was just on Fox 4 was around 55 years old) and they support the missions and goals of the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City. The Millennial League's charity event is called "Val-O-Ween" and will feature live entertainment from The Zeros.

Sunflower House - Valentine Gala

Charity - Sunflower House
Event Location - Overland Park Sheraton
Event Date - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Cost - $150 (sponsorship available)

The Sunflower House, a charity group that fights child abuse, will hold it's annual Valentine Gala this year featuring a V.I.P. cocktail hour, fine dining, and dancing to live music provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Children's Mercy Hospital's Red Hot Night

Charity - Children's Mercy Hospital
Event Location - Kansas City Convention Center
Event Date - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie

The focus on this year's charity event is cancer research. Children’s Mercy is working towards achieving COG designation as a Phase I/II Clinical Trial Center within their Experimental Therapeutics Program – a prestigious designation held by fewer than 25 children’s hospitals worldwide.

The Red Ball

Charity - The American Red Cross
Event Location - The Sprint Center, Kansas City
Event Date - Friday, February 26th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie
Cost - $175 per ticket (sponsorship available)

In it's third year, The American Red Cross is set to roll out the red carpet once again this year for The Red Ball. This year, the event will feature a catered dinner from Levy Restaurants and entertainment from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. The event is set in a beautifully decorated Sprint Center, complete with red cross lights in the front windows of the massive event space.

Forks and Corks for Harvesters

Charity - Harvesters
Event Location - Kansas City Convention Center
Event Date - April 29th, 2010
Attire - Business Casual

The 14th annual Forks and Corks will assemble this year at the Kansas City Convention Center and will feature several top Kansas City Restaurants serving their best cuisine, a silent auction and a delightful wine selection and tasting.

Wayside Waifs - Fur Ball 2010

Charity - Wayside Waifs
Event Location - Overland Park Convention Center
Event Date - May 8th, 2010
Attire - Formal / Business Casual

Kansas City's favorite charity and charity event, Wayside Waifs annual FurBall will be held this year at The Overland Park Convention Center and will feature a live auction, and entertainment provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Jazzoo 2010

Charity - The Kansas City Zoo
Event Location - The Kansas City Zoo
Event Date - June 4th, 2010
Attire - Creative Black Tie

Kansas City's most creative and outrageous charity event has and always will be Jazzoo. Jazzoo 2010 will be no exception as there will be dozens of Kansas City's finest restaurants on site at The Kansas City Zoo, featuring their best cuisine. Party right along side the animals as the entire zoo will be flowing with festively dressed party goers.

This year's entertainment has not yet been announced, but there are usually at least 3 different live bands playing all night long at different locations around the zoo grounds.

For more info visit Kansas City Charity Events