Zoo Idaho invites community to spend a cold Saturday with a warm beer

POCATELLO – Officials at Pocatello’s zoo are inviting the community to spend the afternoon drinking warm beers out in the cold weather.

Zoo Idaho is holding its 3rd annual ‘Pokefest,’ an event where people can gather around many fire pits and enjoy music, food, smores and a ‘poked’ beer. Poking a beer is an old tradition from cold weather climates where someone sticks a metal rod, heated to be red hot, into a beer, caramelizing the sugars and changing the flavor profile.

“It’s an awesome way to spend a cold Saturday in the winter when there’s not a whole lot to do,” said Natalie Valenzuela, curator of education for Zoo Idaho.

Valenzuela described Pokefest as one of Zoo Idaho’s smaller events, bringing in around 100 to 150 people last year. This year, the event will be held today, starting at 1 p.m. and will last until 4 p.m. at the zoo, located at 3000 South 2nd Avenue.

“It’s a fun, intimate gathering where we just get to hang out with other members of our community and enjoy beer and stand around fires to keep warm,” Valenzuela said.

Despite being an event serving beer, Valenzuela said that Pokefest is a family friendly event, with non-alcoholic cider, tea and hot chocolate being served as well. Kids who attend the event with their family can spend time writing and coloring in winter activity books, playing yard games or in the zoo’s treehouse.

The event is mostly kept down in the lower part of the zoo, allowing parents the ability to enjoy a poked beer while also keeping an eye on their children.

“We’re here to serve our community and we have a lot of families in our community, so we want to make sure everyone feels welcomed,” Valenzuela said.

The beer at Pokefest will be provided by Martlet Brewery and Off the Rails, and the alcoholic cider will be provided by the Pocatello Grocery Outlet. Palate Street Bistro will cater the event.

People who plan to drink pay $30 to get in the door, this includes the cost of admission, the first beer and a specialty beer stein with a logo for Pokefest on it. After that, additional beers cost $5. People who are attending as a designated driver or are under 21-years-old pay $5 for entry.

“It’s just an awesome opportunity to see the zoo at a time you might have not seen us,” Valenzuela said. “What else besides sitting around your home are you gonna do on a chilly Winter Saturday. I think it’s better spent with friends and members of the community.”