Blues for the Zoo

   Blues for the Zoo is celebrating 50 years of sanctuary; a fundraiser for the Moonridge Animal Park is set for Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the Big Bear Lake Swim Beach Outdoor Amphitheater with a line-up of world class Blues. The musical program is being produced by the Open Sky Music Foundation, Inc. promoter of the successful Open Sky Music Festival, which ran for several years at Whaler Pointe Lakeside Park. Tickets are $30 in advance / $35 at the gate. Children 10 and under admitted free of charge.   Parking is $3.00.  Tickets will be available from the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce, 630 Bartlett Road (walk in or via phone charge 909 866 4607), at the Moonridge Animal Park Gift Shop, 43285 Goldmine Drive and online at www.moonridgezoo.org/concert.

   This lakeside setting provides a scenic backdrop for an afternoon of internationally recognized musicians plus a selection of local arts and crafts and a freshly prepared food and beverage menu.  No coolers please.  Headlining will be the Delta Guitar Slingers, an all-star group featuring three heralded guitarists from the Blues’ current generation of virtuosos; Lucky Peterson, Michael Burkes and Sherman Robertson.  Guy Davis, an east coast singer-songwriter, steeped in the folk tradition shares the bill.  Davis tips his hat to the great giants of the music, interpreting material by Leadbelly and Muddy Waters.   He is the son of civil rights activists and actors Ozzie Davis and Ruby Dee.  Rounding out the day are Southern California favorites Cafe R&B.  This band is led by powerful singer Roach, described by Hits Magazine as “Etta James riding a Harley out of an active volcano.”  Cafe R&B will perform a mix of originals and Chicago Blues classics.  Music runs 3:00pm to 7:30pm with gates opening at 2:00pm.  Beach chairs and blankets are welcome for festival-style lawn seating. 

   Host lodges for the event include the Best Western Big Bear Chateau (909 866 6666), Northwoods Resort & Conference Center (909 866 3121) and Black Forest Lodge (800 255 4378), all offering special discount room rates for the weekend.  Lodging/Ticket Packages are available by calling 1-800-4BIG BEAR.  Big Bear Lake is a family-friendly mountain community, known for 300 days of annual sunshine, crisp clean air and resort amenities.  The area offers many outdoor activities including; forest hikes, boating, fishing, kayaking, water skiing, forest biking trails and horseback riding. 

   Friends of the Moonridge Zoo, promoters of the concert, is a nonprofit organization formed to support the Moonridge Animal Park through fundraising, volunteer coordination and educating the public on the treatment, protection and conservation of wildlife.  The Moonridge Animal Park is distinguished as the only zoological facility in the United States located in an Alpine environment, dedicated to the preservation of its indigenous species.  The park is a fully licensed, designated care and rehabilitation facility for injured and confiscated animals.  The majority of the rehabilitated animals are successfully released into the wild.   The Moonridge Animal Park also provides a “Home for Life” to over 180 animals representing 85 species. 

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