Maryland Zoo’s Brew at the Zoo returns for Memorial Day weekend

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore turned Brew at the Zoo into more than a Memorial Day beer fest: it was the zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year, a two-day crowdseller built around craft beverages, animal encounters, and a family-friendly setting that stretched well past the tap list.

The 2026 edition ran Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The zoo said the event was rain or shine and presented by M&T Bank and KG Strategic Consultants, with all-day zoo admission, live music, food vendors, artisan vendors, and special animal programming woven through the afternoon.

For beer fans, the draw was scale as much as novelty. Brew at the Zoo featured more than 80 flavors across beer, wine, cider, and seltzer, and Visit Baltimore listed three live bands each day along with Charm City Trivia at 2, 3, 4, and 5 p.m., Volo party games, watermelon-eating contests, and animal activities such as an elephant watermelon smash. The zoo also said a grizzly bear enrichment toss paired with Wyndridge Red, White and Blueberry Cider was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on at least one event day.

That mix gave the event a different shape from a standard brewery crawl. Instead of centering only the beverage lineup, the zoo layered in conservation, animal care, and a social schedule that could pull in casual drinkers, couples, and larger groups looking for something with a little more theater than a taproom stop. The zoo’s 2025 Brew at the Zoo materials said all proceeds supported animal care and conservation programs, underscoring how the event functioned as a fundraising engine as much as a festival.

The timing mattered, too. Memorial Day weekend is crowded with beer events, but Brew at the Zoo had the advantage of a civic anchor and a destination that drew thousands of visitors from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and beyond. Visit Baltimore listed the zoo as open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the event window, turning the day into a full visit rather than a few-hour tasting session.

The zoo’s 150th anniversary added another layer. The Maryland Zoo said it opened in 1876 and spent 2026 marking its 150th year, including an animal-inspired beer collaboration with Checkerspot Brewing Company as part of the anniversary programming. For local beer groups and homebrew clubs, Brew at the Zoo offered a clear lesson: when the pours are tied to a mission, a strong venue, and specific programming on the clock, the event becomes bigger than the beverages alone.