It was quite the whirlwind of a weekend, so we’re breaking up the weekend recap so as to better digest it all. Between Friday night and Saturday morning, we had two events at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo within 12 hours, so I figured I’d start with those two:

On Friday night, Matthew and I attended Date Night at the Zoovies, a fundraiser for the Cleveland Zoological Society. This event includes appetizers, a chance to check out the African Safari and Australian Adventure areas of the Zoo, unlimited Beachhouse wine and Great Lakes Brewing beer, and a movie shown on the big screen under the stars. We even ran into a friend or two, as well!

We munched on mini Chicago-style hot dogs, veggie burger sliders, Italian hoagie sandwiches, mini deep-dish pizzas, and Korean BBQ wings.

If it seems like a lot of the food had a Chicago-esque theme, then you may have also guessed that the movie did too: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” During the movie, there was theater-style fare, from popcorn to nachos to boxes of candy.

Date Night at the Zoovies is one of my favorite events at the Zoo because it is just pure fun and relaxation. Such a simple concept of food and a movie, but such a cool place to enjoy it! And since the event sells out every year, I know that opinion is shared by many!

Saturday morning, we were back at the Zoo bright and early for the Recovery Resources Run for Recovery. Before the run began, we checked out some of the community partners’ tables, as well as the chalkboard filled with inspirational messages to those helped by Recovery Resources’ addiction recovery services.

I have been to the Zoo many a time with Jeffrey, but this was my first time trying to do “the big hill” at a good pace.

Jeffrey’s face pretty much says it all. It was hot and that was a BIG hill. But we made it! And the folks stationed throughout the Run to cheer everyone on were so sweet and encouraging!

One of the best parts about having a 5K at the Zoo is the chance to see some animals not only while you’re doing the run…

but also afterwards. The Run for Recovery included Zoo admission for the day, so we stuck around for a bit to see some critters, as well as enjoy some of the snacks, music, and happy vibes from the people there for the Run.

Two Zoo events in 12 hours – check! As for the rest of our weekend…stay tuned!

***Disclosure: I was asked to help promote Date Night at the Zoovies and the Run for Recovery by their respective organizations. In exchange, I received two tickets for Date Night at the Zoovies and two race entries for the Run for Recovery. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***