Gator Tales: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Croctoberfest was a Walk in the Park

Local lager from Dog Rose Brewing, St. Augustine,
at St. Augustine Alligator Farm's first Croctoberfest

October 3, 2018: Celebrating 125 years as a beloved tourist and educational attraction, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park hosted its first beerfest on Friday night, September 28, 2018. The inaugural Croctoberfest brought out both four-legged and two-legged creatures, and even some who moved around in other ways. A cozy and intimate brew-at-the-zoo beer-and-food event, Croctoberfest took place throughout the park, as guests roamed through various habitats sipping beer, listening to music, engaging and watching the zoo inhabitants, and chatting with conservation organizations. "We believe the event was a great success .. with over $12,000 raised for the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group and Malayan Gharials," recapped Trevor Mia, of the park's Education Department, after the event. 

The fest was unique in that a number of local conservation organizations were set up alongside Florida brewery and local food vendors. The tree-lined backdrop provided a beautiful evening setting, and the zoo residents also provided entertainment. 

Educational activities began before the doors opened, as zoo staff introduced two gharials to attendees outside the event entrance. 

Once inside, it didn't take long to find the beer, as beer tents and tables from a number of local and Florida breweries dotted the walkways throughout the park. There were even more breweries from around Florida pouring beers than were originally identified -- no such thing as too many beers!  

Walk this way ... or that way... there was beer each way ...

First Magnitude Brewing, Gainesville, brought its recently-named
Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal-Winning beer,
Drift English Mild Ale, to the party!
Congrats again to First Mag, and this is always a fun crew!

But... I'm not too sure that this guy right behind the First Magnitude table
was as excited about that beer ...

The park was open to the fest guests, and it was a splendid evening for a sunset and watching the animal behaviors. This stork, a Marabou Stork, was a hot topic of conversation, and he seemed to keep an eye on the Dog Rose Brewing table all night long. 

Marabou Stork watching over things: The pink protrusion is an air sac.

The Alligator Farm is also a popular venue for photography buffs. Each year during Florida's Birding and Photo Fest, a number of workshops and field trips are held here. A nightly phenomenon is the roosting of the birds, as they prepare to claim their spots for the night. As sunset approached, the sky filled with herons, egrets, ibises and spoonbills getting ready to catch some zzzz's. Take a look at the video on the boardwalk at the Rookery, with the crocodilians lurking below (and, yes, there's a beer in hand, of course):

The fest also featured several local restaurants serving up some favorite foods, including Mojo Old City BBQ and Meehan's Irish Pub. 

Pulled pork and mac-n-cheese? Yes, please!

In a tropical twist, Madi Rum was on hand with rum cake made from its Madagascar Vanilla rum. Several slices were consumed to get the full effect of the beachy vibe and visions of aqua waters that this delectable treat conjured up. 

Just add a beach chair, steel drums, and a daiquiri, and we're set.
Back to the Caribbean ...

As the gators, crocs and other exotic species did their thing around the park, beer enthusiasts found plenty of beer to sample:

Static Haze Hazy NE IPA from Old Coast Ales, St. Augustine:
the aroma said it all: fruity, tropical with a slight bitter aftertaste

.Bog Brewing, St. Augustine, kicked its Oktoberfest Marzen lager
(if you missed out on that one, you can still get it at the tap room!),
so it was more of the haze craze with Hazy Pale Ale.

Central 28 Beer Co. made it from DeBary, with its Hullabaloo Festbier:
First time having this one, and perfect for the occasion!

Not a wading pool with these guys around!

It took this Galapagos Tortoise a while
 to make his way from the pool to the side for a nap.
It must have really tired him out; he was sleeping later!

The band Funk Butter kept feet and bodies moving as it played in the Theater:

And, nighttime began to fall, with watchful eyes still awake, even as the beerfest began to wind down: 

Croctoberfest was not only a fun event in a spectacular setting with the opportunity to sample beers from around the state, it was also an educational event in its own right, with the conservation groups on board to discuss various wildlife programs, from bats to more crocodiles and gators. Participants included: IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group, Riverbanks Zoo, Crocodilian Conservation Center of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Audubon Society, The Rattlesnake Conservancy, GTM Research Reserve, Lubee Bat Conservancy, and Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience. Further, the exhibits at the Alligator Farm explain the species which call each section home. The night was a great way to learn about wildlife and sip some suds all at once!

Croc education!

Don't try this at home. (No, not really that adventurous: they're replicas.)

You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here ...
Kegs ready to depart after a very cool event!

Be on the lookout next year as Croctoberfest returns. "We are looking forward to Croctoberfest Part 2," said Trevor. "We are hoping to keep adding and supporting Florida breweries and conservation organizations, while expanding our reach to more guests."

The Alligator Farm was founded in 1893 and moved to its current location in 1920. Over the years, it has opened new exhibits, including the Crocodile Crossing Zip Line in 2011, and the Land of Crocodiles in 1993. It is the only site in the world where all 24 species of crocodilians reside. (See the poster above). 

From all things observed over the course of the evening, the first edition of Croctoberfest was an event to remember ... and, that's no croc(k). 

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is located at 999 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine. It offers special events during holidays and is open every day of the year. 






Cheers to St. Augustine Alligator Farm for an amazing event! With all of the space to move around and enjoy the animal exhibits, beer and food in a relaxed and gorgeous atmosphere without an elbow-to-elbow crowd, a good time was had by all ... even the zoo species seemed to have a good time! Special thanks to Trevor Mia for taking the time to contribute to this series of articles. 

Cheers, all!

Til next time,

Linda

Linda Johnson, Certified Cicerone®
www.brewnymph.com

(All photos by Linda Johnson/BrewNymph)

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