When I heard wine, food, and after hours at the aquarium, I was there! Scales and Ales is an event put on by the Audubon Aquarium that serves food from over 40 different restaurants to accompany the endless amounts of beer and wine. They also have live entertainment such as dancers dressed as jellyfish and live music (this year from the Chee Weez). The best part about this event is that you get to wander around the aquarium wearing your favorite dressy casual outfit. Instead of going to a nice restaurant for my birthday this year, my family and I decided to celebrate at this unique event.
First order of business when you enter the event: food! I was delighted to see that the portions were very small, because that meant I got to try a ton of different dishes from different places. There was one point where I was walking back to our table holding four plates because it all looked too good to pass up!
Once we tried almost every dish available, we hit the bar for some wine and Abita beer. My boyfriend and I made a pit stop at the GoGo photo booth because... why not?
After some family bonding over a few drinks, we decided to make our way into the aquarium. It definitely had a different feel than it normally does. They had a DJ and lights inside and divers in the tanks. They also had drink stations set up throughout the aquarium to make sure your glass is always full.
After quite a few birthday drinks I tended to look at the fish like:
Scales and Ales is a great adult event that also brings out your inner kid. It was really special for me to casually stroll around the aquarium, learn something new about the fish, and spend some quality time with my family. We spent quite a while sitting in the large shark tank room. It was the perfect spot to just chat, watch the fish, and enjoy each others company.
After all the excitement in the aquarium, some people decided to channel their inner fish.
Everything offered at the event is included in your ticket. The tickets are typically purchased ahead of time and will only be sold at the door if they don't sell out in advance. If you are planning on going next year to the 8th annual Scales and Ales, it would be wise to buy your tickets in advance! All proceeds benefit the Aquarium's work in education and conservation.
The food was fantastic, the beer was endless, the crowd was happy, and the fish were probably confused. It was the perfect birthday celebration! Thanks Audubon Aquarium for allowing us to party our fins off!