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Double Your Holiday CheerThis isn’t your average holiday happy hour. Polar Beers, presented by KeyBank, is your 21+ ticket into Wild Lights, one of Detroit’s biggest light shows, with craft beer, cider, seltzer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages poured throughout. Don your best ugly sweater — this vibe only happens once a year.
Grab your tickets before they’re gone.
What to Expect at Polar Beers 2026
• 100+ seasonal craft brews, specialty drinks and non-alcoholic pours
• Access to the Detroit Zoo’s spectacular Wild Lights trail (front half of the Zoo only)
• A complimentary welcome drink from Griffin Claw Brewing
• Holiday photo ops and twinkling backdrops
• Free carousel rides until 9:30 p.m.
• A VIP* Lounge with included food, plus a commemorative gift
• Cozy fire pits, warming stations and classic holiday tunes to set the mood
• A Connection Station and zookeeper chats to learn more about our mission and the animals who call the Zoo home
Polar Beers takes place in the front half of the Zoo. To protect the well-being of the animals, the back half of the Zoo and its habitats will be closed for the evening.
*Additional purchase
What’s New This Year
• We’re moving the event a half-hour forward from last year! VIP entry now starts at 6 p.m., and General Admission begins at 6:30 p.m.
• Erb Discovery Trails. Sip your way through the newly illuminated eastern portion of Fred & Barbara Erb Discovery Trails, including access to Aaron and Carolynn Frankel Stingray Cove* until 8 p.m. and the Wild Explorer VR* experience.
• Art Exhibition: Color, Fly, Butterfly. Color your own butterfly and watch your creation come alive in this immersive art experience at the Ford Education Center.
*Additional purchase
Celebrate the Season While Giving Back
Your Polar Beers night out does a ton of good. Every ticket purchased directly funds world-class animal care at the Detroit Zoo and fuels critical conservation work saving wildlife species across the globe. It also funds the smaller stuff that adds up, like the Zoo's holiday lights recycling program, which keeps strands of burnt-out bulbs out of Michigan landfills.
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Event venue
8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI, United States, Michigan 48067
Tickets
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