Milwaukee County Zoo kicks off its 40th annual A La Carte at the Zoo on Thursday, running through Sunday with national headliners, more than 25 food and beverage vendors, and a brand-new Kids' Day that offers half-priced admission for children ages 3-12 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The four-day festival blends live music, animal exhibits and family programming across zoo grounds at 10001 W. Bluemound Rd., and organizers say the milestone year brings both longtime traditions and fresh additions to the lineup.
According to OnMilwaukee, the first 500 children through the admissions gate on Thursday's Kids' Day will receive a complimentary penguin backpack and hippo bookmark, a new perk highlighted by the Milwaukee County Zoo. The festival has been a Milwaukee summer fixture since 1986, when it launched as “Milwaukee a la Carte at the Zoo” with 30 invited local restaurants setting up food stalls on zoo grounds, as reported by Radio Milwaukee. Four decades later, only two of those original vendors remain: Saz's and MIL-WOK-EE, both of which have participated in every edition of the event since it began, per Radio Milwaukee.
New Food Vendors Join a 40-Year Roster
This year's food lineup includes five newcomers to the festival: Flip's Mini Donuts, The Watering Hole, Crust & Copper, Chillwaukee Coffee, Fresh & Safe and Kings Catering, according to OnMilwaukee's reporting. Food and beverage vendors accept credit or debit cards only and do not take cash, so festivalgoers planning to eat on-site should come prepared with a card. The festival runs Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with Sunday hours running from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Music runs continuously across six stages set up near animal habitats throughout the four days, mixing national headliners with Wisconsin talent, as detailed by Milwaukee Record. Local acts including Wave Chapelle, Group of the Altos, Emmitt James, The Hallelujah Ward and NilexNile are scheduled to perform alongside the bigger-name bookings, per the outlet.
Chris Lane and lovelytheband Headline the Weekend
Thursday's headliner slot belongs to lovelytheband at 7 p.m., while the Miller Lite Caribou Stage features Kid Boogie Down the same day, per OnMilwaukee. Friday brings a double bill with Jackrabbit featuring Dermot Mulroney at 6 p.m. and Chris Lane at 7:30 p.m.; Lane's album Shade Tree debuted with 1.65 million streams in its first week, according to the outlet's reporting. Saturday's headliner is Tank and the Bangas at 7 p.m. — the band has released three albums — and Sunday closes out the festival with Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz act De La Buena performing at 6 p.m.
The zoo's summer exhibit, Powerful Pollinators, is presented by festival sponsor Meijer and features oversized animatronic pollinators alongside displays highlighting conservation efforts, per OnMilwaukee. Retailer Meijer serves as the official presenting sponsor for the 40th anniversary edition of A La Carte, according to Travel Wisconsin, helping subsidize stage entertainment and family programming for the milestone year.
Tickets, Parking and Getting In
Milwaukee County residents pay $21 for adult tickets, $19 for seniors age 60 and older, and $18 for children ages 3-12, while non-county residents pay a few dollars more, per OnMilwaukee's breakdown. Children under age two get in free, and discounted tickets are also sold at Tri City National Bank branches, though supplies are limited. Members of the Zoo Pass and Platypus Circle donor programs receive free general admission for all four days, according to the Zoological Society of Milwaukee.
General parking costs $15 plus service fee and tax, with ADA, handicap and motorcycle spaces included, and drivers pay by scanning a QR code rather than at a booth. The zoo accepts cash, credit and debit cards for admission, parking, merchandise and attractions, and a zoo administration office can convert cash into a prepaid card for use at food and beverage stands that don't take cash directly. Animal buildings stay open until one hour before the festival ends each evening, though the aviary closes earlier, at 3:30 p.m. daily.
A Zoo in Transition Marks a Milestone
The festival's 40th year arrives as the Milwaukee County Zoo, which spans 190 acres and houses more than 2,400 animals representing over 340 species, continues investing in new infrastructure. The zoo opened its $22.6 million rhino care hub for 2026 in May as part of its multi-phase Adventure Africa capital development plan, which previously added upgraded habitats for elephants and hippos. The zoo generates an estimated $156 million in annual economic impact for the region and draws roughly 1.13 million visitors a year as a county-owned institution supported by the nonprofit Zoological Society of Milwaukee.
The elephant exhibit has seen recent losses that left the zoo with a single resident, Belle, after keepers humanely euthanized 45-year-old elephant Brittany in April following the September 2025 death of 43-year-old elephant Ruth. Families attending the festival with sensory sensitivities can also access KultureCity accommodations, including quiet spaces and sensory kits with noise-canceling headphones, part of a citywide sensory-inclusive plan Milwaukee adopted this year.
