Carnaval": A Brazilian themed Mardi Gras party hosted by Friends of the National Zoo's (FONZ's) Young Professionals.
WHAT: "Carnaval": A Brazilian themed Mardi Gras party hosted by Friends of the National Zoo's (FONZ's) Young Professionals.
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m. to midnight
WHERE: Smithsonian's National Zoo - Picnic Pavilion and Mane Restaurant
3001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
WHO: Seventeen breweries and distributors, eleven eateries, and hundreds of D.C.'s young professionals learning how to samba and getting up close and personal with Zoo animals.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, from 8 p.m. to midnight, hundreds of D.C.'s young professionals will celebrate Mardi Gras Brazilian style with real party animals at FONZ's "Carnaval" at the National Zoo.
Partygoers will enjoy live samba music performed by local band Origem and traditional Brazilian food and drinks served by a variety of area eateries, including Fiesta in Box and Green Field Churrascaria. The festivities will include samba lessons by professional instructors, samba dancers performing in ornate and beautiful costumes, up-close encounters with a three-banded armadillo and other Zoo animals, and a silent auction featuring two roundtrip tickets to Brazil courtesy of TAM Airlines and an authentic Brazilian Carnaval costume and headdress provided by the Embassy of Brazil.
Tickets are still available ($50 for FONZ members and $75 for nonmembers) and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (202) 397-7328 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information about the event, members of the public can also call FONZ at (202) 633-3026 or logon to www.fonz.org/samba.htm. "Carnaval" is a 21-and-older event.
Proceeds benefit the Zoo's Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program, which supports the efforts of Zoo scientists to study and conserve endangered golden lion tamarins in the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil .
