John Ball Zoo Hosting A Musical Safari This Saturday in Grand Rapids

If you’ve ever strolled through John Ball Zoo and thought, “This could really use a live soundtrack,” you’re in luck.

On Saturday, Sept. 20th, from 3 to 5 pm, the John Ball zoo is basically turning into a live-action Disney movie thanks to Project ESME’s “Carnival of the Animals: A Zoo Tour Concert.”

For those who are down for the adventure, musicians from Grand Rapids–based Eclectic String Music Ensemble (aka ESME) will be scattered around the zoo, popping up near exhibits with short surprise sets.

It might be a little like this recent post from the zoo... 

You might catch “Circle of Life” by the lions, something mystical and magical from How to Train Your Dragon-y by the reptiles, or a dramatic Jaws riff from some violins near the aquarium. (Which feels almost a little too on the nose, but you know what? I’ll allow it.)

Eventually, all the musical magic gathers everyone together for a big finale at the Central Stage Plaza.

The heart of the program is Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, but they are promising plenty of fun detours into some of your favorite film scores, as well as jazz, rock, and even hip-hop.

Basically, if you’ve ever wanted Beethoven and Kung Fu Panda in the same afternoon while enjoying everything the John Ball Zoo has to offer, this is your moment.

The best part? It’s all included with regular zoo admission (or free if you’re a member). So you can watch a pygmy hippo wiggle its nose to the sound of a cello, grab a Dippin’ Dots, and pretend your life has a perfectly orchestrated soundtrack.

So mark your calendar. Because for one afternoon, John Ball Zoo will be a less quietly educational field trip and more Broadway with a hippo cameo.

And while you're there, you can check out the giant pollinators at the John Ball Zoo!