Indigo Bluegrass BBQ at the Central Florida Zoo

econd annual Indigo Bluegrass BBQ at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

The second annual Indigo Bluegrass BBQ at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens’ Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (OCIC) will take place on February 11, 2023.

The event will run from noon to 4 p.m. at the OCIC, with parking at Cassia Community Center, 29245 Florida Highway 44 in Eustis.

The country casual event will allow guests to get outside and enjoy the sounds of the popular Lake County group, Blackwater Creek Bluegrass Band.

A delicious selection of barbecue favorites will also be served by OakWood Smokehouse & Grill.

During the event, beer will be provided by Wayne Densch, Inc., and wine will also be available.

“This event was so much fun last year that we knew we had to do it again,” said Dr. James Bogan, the director of the OCIC. “It allows guests to get away from everything for a day of great food, great music, and great company. Plus, we couldn’t do the work we do every day without this support. Attendees can help save a species.”

Proceeds from the event support the OCIC’s mission to re-introduce the eastern indigo snake—a threatened species native to the longleaf pine ecosystems of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida that has been affected by habitat loss. The OCIC also works to reintroduce the striped newt.

The OCIC is the only captive breeding facility for the eastern indigo snake with the sole purpose of releasing the offspring into regions where the population has been extirpated.

The group has released more than 300 snakes at The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs, Ravines Preserve in Bristol and Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest.

Attendees are asked to park at the Cassia Community Center and will be shuttled to the event site. The sponsor for the event is Publix Super Market Charities.

Tickets are $30 per person or $50 for two and are available here.

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