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PORTLAND, Ore.  Nights at the Oregon Zoo are full of excitement  several nocturnal species keep the zoo hopping from sunset to sunrise  but usually only the animals get to partake in the fun. On Friday, June 4, humans get to join the party at Zoo Brew, where some of the best beer in the Northwest will combine with one of the greatest bands ever to come out of Oregon: the Crazy 8s.

Inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2007, this ska-rock band will provide the microbrew festivals soundtrack, playing live on the zoos main stage as attendees sample beers from 20 local microbreweries.

Were excited to kick off our summer tour by headlining at Zoo Brew, said Marc Baker, manager of the Crazy 8s. Its a unique way to reconnect with our Portland audience.

Kris Carico, Oregon Zoo Foundation special events manager, agrees that the festival is special: No other Northwest event allows guests to enjoy fantastic local brews and take in great live music while mingling outdoors at a zoo.

Tickets to Zoo Brew are $25 and include a commemorative glass and 10 tokens. The festival, sponsored by Willamette Week, runs from 5 to 10 p.m., rain or shine. Proceeds from this years event will support the Zoo To You education program, which helps engage kids in animal education through hands-on learning activities and allows them to get up close with live animals.

Participating breweries are: Alameda Brewhouse, Blue Mountain Cider, BridgePort Brewing Co., Cascade Brewing, Crater Lake Root Beer, Deschutes Brewery, Double Mountain Brewery, Fish Brewing Co., Full Sail Brewing, Hopworks Urban Brewing, Klamath Basin Brewing Co., Kona Brewing Co., Lompoc Brewing Co., Oakshire Brewing, Pale Horse Brewing Co., Redhook Ale Brewery, Seven Brides Brewing, Spire Mountain Cider, Trumer Pils, and Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.oregonzoo.org/ZooBrew. Only guests 21 and over will be admitted.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washingtons pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot and Taylors checkerspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaids lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $10.50 (ages 12-64), $9 for seniors (65 and up), $7.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoos Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.