SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Zoo will host San Diego's largest food and wine festival Sept. 25 from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.The event, titled Celebration for the Critters, will feature more than 150 food and beverage vendors. The festival will take place on the grounds after the zoo closes. Guests will enjoy food from San Diego-area restaurants, including Oceanire, Island Prime and Ruth's Christ Steak House. Beer, wine and spirits will be provided from food vendors, breweries and wineries, and two stages of live music will keep people dancing throughout the night. Joan Embery, the zoo's conservation ambassador, will lead an animal presentation. The zoo will also offer animal meet-and-greets. A separate area will house a casino and silent auction opportunities, where guests can bid on travel packages, tours and dinners. General admission tickets to the event are $100 with proceeds benefiting the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research. To purchase tickets, or for more information, call (619) 714-3313 or go online to www.celebrationforthecritters.com

********** Published: September 9, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 21