If you go
› What: Q & Brew at the Zoo.› When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, July 16 (zoo closes at 4 p.m.).› Where: Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave.› Admission: $12 members, $15 nonmembers for adults; $7 and $10 for children.› Phone: 423-697-1322.› Website: www.chattzoo.org/events/qnbrew.
Barbecue, beer and country music are on tap Saturday, July 16, as Chattanooga Zoo serves up its annual Q & Brew.
The after-hours event will start at 6 p.m., and the zoo will close early, at 4 p.m., to begin preparations.
Contributing to the main portion of menu are Moonshiner's BBQ, Chili's, Bareknuckles BBQ, Double Barrel BBQ, Couch's Bar-B-Que, Beast + Barrel, Rolling J's Mobile Bistro and Rib & Loin. Coca-Cola, Athens Distributing, Carter Distributing and Pure SodaWorks will offer a selection of beers and soda. Gadzooks (frozen yogurt) and Tikiz Shaved Ice also will add their specialties.
The featured entertainer, Brian Milson, is a Texas singer said to be "possessed of a supple baritone somewhere between Toby Keith and Chris Young."
In an online bio, Milson says his early musical influences ranged from Huey Lewis & The News to Motown to Sinatra. A show choir audition before his senior year of high school found him performing Pearl Jam's version of "Last Kiss" and "a mix of stuff from George Strait, Clay Walker, Kenny Chesney and the Goo Goo Dolls."
He describes his current sound as "traditional country with an edge. I'm not afraid of guitars that twang, fiddles or steel."
Games and animal encounters will round out the family-friendly event.
Because the date falls on the anniversary of the terrorist attack in Chattanooga, the zoo will remember the Fallen Five and honor military personnel and veterans.
"As a thank-you, we are offering free event admission for all current military men and women and all those with veteran status," says a news release from zoo officials.
When purchasing tickets online, military personnel and veterans should use the code NoogaStrong16 to receive a free ticket. Military or veteran will be required at the gate.
Event tickets include a commemorative cup, two complimentary beverage tickets and all of the evening's activities. All money raised at Q & Brew will go to support the Chattanooga Zoo and its animals.