Wine in the Wilderness
June 1, 2024 | 6-9 PM | Utica Zoo
Wine in the Wilderness is the Utica Zoo’s annual 21+ wine tasting event that takes place right here on zoo grounds annually in June.
The 24th Annual Utica Zoo Wine in the Wilderness is Saturday, June 1st, 2024 from 6pm-9pm at the Utica Zoo! Sample New York State wines from wineries and enjoy LIVE music, food trucks, and a wide variety of vendors. Wine in the Wilderness is rain or shine and strictly 21+ with valid ID. See below for a list of everything that will be included at this year’s event!
Sponsorship opportunities are available. E-mail a.heath@uticazoo.org to inquire.
Interested in being a winery or vendor at this event? Email events@uticazoo.org for more details!
*Please Note: the Utica Zoo will close at 1pm on the day of the event for setup. We will reopen at 6pm for the event!*
Tickets:
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Member Admission - Pre-Sale $30
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General Admission - Pre-Sale $35
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Member Admission - At the Door $35
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General Admission - At the Door $40
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Designated Driver $20
Designated driver tickets do not get a wine glass and will not be served alcohol at the event.
Where to Buy Pre-Sale Tickets
Physical ticket locations:
We will announce any changes that get made to this list prior to the tickets being put on sale!
Online Tickets:
Purchase your tickets today!
*To get your Zoo Member discount for digital tickets, enter the email address associated with your zoo membership in the “promotional code” area of ticket checkout! For new members, it may take a few days for the code to register! If that still doesn’t work, you may not have entered an email when you made your membership. Reach out to events@uticazoo.org to verify your membership and enter an email.*
Online ticket sales will close on June 1 at 5 pm.
Live Music by:
Last Left
Parking
Free first come first served parking at the Utica Zoo with free overflow parking at MVCC Payne Hall parking lot and the Parkway Rec Center. Shuttle buses will take you to and from the zoo at no cost from 5:30 to 10:00 pm. Attendees may be dropped off and picked up at the zoo. Uber, Lyft, and local taxi companies are highly suggested.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Wine in the Wilderness 2024 runs from 6pm to 9pm on June 1st!
Everyone – regardless of age – will need to pass through our ID check when entering the zoo. Please make sure you keep you ID on you at all times!
Wine in the Wilderness is a Wine tasting event, and your ticket (unless you are a Designated Driver) will get you a wine glass and FREE tastings at ALL of the featured wineries. You will also be able to purchase bottles and other merchandise from these wineries should you want event more from them specifically.
We will have a number of featured market vendors at Wine in the Wilderness all selling a variety of different things. Stay tuned for a complete list of this year’s vendors soon!
This year there will be plenty of choices for food while here at the event so stay tuned to see what this year’s options will be!
The main change this year will be the layout of the event as a whole! Due to prior years having crowd issues, we have opted to utilize more of the zoo this year to help spread the event out and let it breathe a little easier. Due to this, the event has been spread to our Backyards & Barnyards section, our Zebra View Pavilion, Our Eagle View Pavilion, and even closer to our Overlook (in addition to all the normal places i.e. the Rotary Pavilion, Plaza, and Watering Can Garden).
Smoking will be permitted at the event IN THE DESIGNATED SMOKING AREA. This area will be located between our Kookie’s Q and Rotary Pavilion. There will be signs clearly marking its location.
While we will have SOME space available to visitors to park at the zoo, we will have OVERFLOW parking at the Parkway Rec Center AND MVCC’s Payne Hall lot. These overflow areas WILL have shuttle buses running to and from them from 5pm until 10pm.
Tickets will be purchasable at their Pre-Sale rate up until 5pm on June 1st!
Tickets are available digitally through the links on this page OR through one of the many ticket selling locations around the area (see above).
While cash is NOT required to enjoy the event, some food trucks and vendors MAY require it. If you don’t bring cash with you, there will be and ATM located in our Visitor Center’s Gift Shop!
Due to needing a few hours to setup for the event, the zoo will close down at 1pm on June 1st. So if you are planning to visit the zoo during normal hours keep that in mind!
Wineries Attending Wine in the Wilderness 2024
Wine in the Wilderness is Sponsored By:
Photos from Previous Years:
