Community Concert Brought Music and Culture to the Zoo | Cleveland Zoological Society

After a successful pilot event in 2025, the Zoo brought back an expanded Community Concert this August.

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The Kilroys greeted Zoo guests with Irish music and dancing

Six bands playing across multiple locations on August 10 encouraged Zoo visitors to pause along their way to listen, learn, and appreciate the cultures that make up Northeast Ohio’s vibrant communities. Partner organizations also set up interactive tables to share their work and resources. The Zoo Society was proud to support this free community event thanks to a generous donation from the Ohio Arts Council.

To make this event accessible to more community members, the concert was scheduled on a Monday, when residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township can enter the Zoo for free. This, along with wonderful late-summer weather yielded a fantastic turnout. Thousands of people visited the Zoo that day, with the majority arriving during the hours of the Community Concert. Bringing people together to enjoy the diverse talents of local musicians while exploring the Zoo was such a fun way to celebrate the arts in Northeast Ohio's communities, and feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. It was a great day at the Zoo!

Another thank-you to the Ohio Arts Council for helping make this possible!

communityconcert4 Moises Borges Brazilian Jazz Band

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Cleveland Orchestra - Music Explorers on the Road

communityconcert3 Country Honk

communityconcert1 Papo Ruiz y la Dulzura de la Salsa

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Sun Shade & Tropikal Vybz Band