KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- It's the wildest party in Knoxville and its just around the corner. Plan now to party your bloomin' tail off at Knoxville Zoo's 14th annual Feast with the Beasts on Saturday, August 16, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Sample the most delectable foods and beverages from more than 35 area restaurants and vendors. Vendors include Amerigo Italian Restaurant, Applebee's, Bayou Bay, O'Charley's and Silver Spoon just to name a few. Guests can gobble up tasty jambalaya, Italian specialties, yummy deserts and much more. If that's not enough to get those mouths watering, maybe the many beverage samples from area distributors, wineries and breweries will do the trick.
                                         
No party is complete without great entertainment. The Dave Landeo Band and The Detroitdaddies Trio are the featured bands at this year's event. Attendees can also bid on silent auction items hosted by the zoo's chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). Items include paintings by zoo animals, gift baskets and gift certificates.

The Southeast Tourism Society has named Knoxville Zoo's Feast with the Beasts one of the "Top 20 Events" for August 2008. This is the 14th year the zoo has hosted this event that keeps getting bigger and better each year. From 350 guests and 24 vendors in 1995 to more than 1,800 guests and nearly 40 vendors in 2007, Feast with the Beasts has become Knoxville's favorite party and one of the zoo's most popular and successful fund-raising events. 

Feast with the Beasts is presented by ORNL Federal Credit Union. "We feel that our commitment to our community and today's youth is equally as strong as the commitment made by the Knoxville Zoo," said John Kittrick, ORNL Federal Credit Union president. "That's why we continually support the zoo and its efforts and are proud to be the presenting sponsor of Feast with the Beasts."

Feast with the Beasts is open to guests 21 and older. A current photo ID must be presented at the event. Your ticket includes admission to the event, complimentary food and beverages and groovin' entertainment.

Tickets for Feast with the Beasts are on sale now. Tickets are available at the zoo, ORNL Federal Credit Union branches, area Pilot stores, online at www.knoxville-zoo.org, or by calling (865) 637-5331, ext. 300.

Feast with the Beasts is presented by ORNL Federal Credit Union and is also sponsored by Regal Entertainment Group, WBIR-TV 10, 93.1 The Best of the 80's, Metro Pulse and Knoxville Magazine.

Knoxville Zoo is located off exit 392A from Interstate 40 West and is open every day except Christmas Day. The zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is committed to the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education. Currently, the zoo is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission and ticket sales stop one hour before the zoo closes. Next-day admission is free after 3 p.m. For more information, please call 865.637.5331 ext. 300 or visit www.knoxville-zoo.org.