Beastly Ball 2023 to Benefit the LA Zoo

Every year the Beastly Ball fundraising gala takes place at the LA Zoo. This year’s event is being held on Saturday, June 3rd, and is hosted by actor/comedian Joel McHale.

During the gala, honorees will be recognized for their support of the Los Angeles Zoo. This year the honorees include Diann H. Kim, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) Trustee since 2011 and Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Councilmember, 2001–2015. Mr. LaBonge was known around town as “Mr. Los Angeles” and will be posthumously recognized.

Last week I attended a media preview of the Beastly Ball. Check out what Julie Chang, LA Zoo Ambassador, had to say about this annual fundraiser.

During the preview, members of the press and influencers got to sample the food and drinks that will be served at the Beastly Ball.

Highlights include:

Yakumi
Spicy tuna roll, yellowtail jalapeno roll and salmon nigiri with truffle soy and sesame seeds.

Taste of the Wild Catering
BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork “Sundae” created by the LA Zoo on-site catering crew.

Pink’s Hot Dogs
This iconic hot dog purveyor will offer beef, turkey and vegan hot dogs.

Milk Jar Cookies
The bakery had full-size cookies on display for sampling; however, during the Beastly Ball, they will be serving up mini cookies! Fun fact: I learned during the preview that Milk Jar Cookies will be opening a second storefront in Encino (yay for the Valley!). Keep an eye on their Instagram account for an announcement soon.

Of course, a gala wouldn’t be complete without libations! Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Company will be on hand with these drinks.

Olga Vodka will serve a drink called an Italian Sailor. Watch as a representative of the company creates the cocktail for one of the guests at the media preview.

Of course, there will be coffee to go with the desserts. The coffee bar is sponsored by Don Francisco’s Coffee. Our parting gift as we left the zoo was a generous bag chock-full of coffee items.

Thank you to the Los Angeles Zoo for inviting me to the media preview. I was thoroughly entertained and I enjoyed learning all about the LA Zoo.

If you’d like to purchase tickets to the June 3rd Beastly Ball fundraising gala, check out their website here: https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/special-experiences/beastly-ball/ and you can also follow the LA Zoo’s Instagram account for special announcements or to view cute animal photos!

For more photos of the LA Zoo’s media preview, head on over to my Facebook page and check out my Beastly Ball photo album!

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. I attended a media event which helped facilitate this review. All images & opinions are 100% my own.