We started going to the Oregon Zoo holiday Zoolights in 2017.  Sometime after that, they introduced Brewlights, a night for 21+ folks, with the opportunity to taste beers and ciders as you walk around.  We've been very choosy about what holiday events we go to this year because we've been saving money for our big trip next year, but a couple of our friends were going for the first time and invited us along.

It was an enjoyable night, and I LOVE my pink coat, so I'm excited to share a look at our evening!

Compared to our early Zoolights experiences, I love that the zoo offers a kid-free event.  Certainly, drunk adults are not better behaved, but if you go early and leave before it gets nuts, you should be fine.  This year there was also the option for a non-alcohol ticket at a cheaper price, which is what Sean and I opted for this time around. I highly recommend the early admission that gets you into the zoo an hour before general admission. 

Once we got into the zoo, we went the opposite way to everyone else to give us more time away from the crowds.  It's a quieter and more chill experience this way.  Wear comfortable shoes and expect to walk a lot.  We ended up doing three laps around the zoo just checking out all the lights, plus doing it all again with our friends.  There are also many more food, snack, and beverage options now, which is helpful.  Sean and I had hot cocoa, mini doughnuts, and sausages on sticks.

If you want to ride the train, do it as early as you can to avoid waiting too long.  The train plaza has a variety of food and drink options nearby.  This is when we bought hot cocoa to take on the train with us.

There's live music (the musician that was there this year had a great voice and a pretty diverse set list.  He even did a Craig David song! His name is Ian James, FYI.), uni-pipers, opportunities for people-watching, and various animal sightings. A zookeeper was set up early on with an owl we could all see up close.

I haven't gotten out of the house much and things have been really heavy lately, so it was a great change of pace to just go have fun with no real agenda or purpose. Plus, we got to hang out with our friends for a little bit and be silly.

Brewlights typically take place on a weekend near Thanksgiving.  Tickets do tend to sell out, so if you know you want to go don't hesitate to get your tickets when they go on sale!