The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's annual Tunes & Blooms concert series is canceled this year because of COVID safety concerns, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the sight of thousands upon thousands of radiant tulips while listening to some sweet sounds.
The Cincinnati Zoo’s Zoo Blooms event runs from April 1-30 and "features more than one million daffodils, hyacinths, flowering trees, shrubs and other spring bulbs exploding with color," says the zoo, including one of the largest tulip displays in the region.
And while the springtime celebration is generally complemented by a free weekly Tunes & Blooms local live music series after hours, the zoo has come up with a unique way to harness some of that same energy. The zoo has created a curated Spotify playlist made up of past Tunes & Blooms artists, including Multimagic, Grizzly Goat, Plastic Ants and The Tillers, which you can listen to while you wander.
“The gardens are spectacular with or without music, but this playlist is the next best thing to being able to enjoy live music at the Zoo. We plan to bring the popular concerts back next year," said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard in a press release.
The Cincinnati Zoo is also offering a self-guided botanical garden audio tour.
The tour can be accessed for free through the Echoes app or this link. The tour of the garden — one of only two accredited botanical gardens in Ohio — is led by the Cincinnati Zoo’s director of horticulture, Steve Foltz. Different portions of the tour are triggered by GPS when you physically walk inside a geofenced area, so there’s no need to keep referencing your phone.
Foltz says that the tulips are just starting to bloom now, and although peak time is difficult to pinpoint, you can't go wrong if you visit anytime between April 7 and April 15.
Zoo Blooms is included with the cost of zoo admission and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are required. Visitors with zoo memberships can enter without reservations 2-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and also reserve early admission. All visitors are required to wear masks.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is located at 3400 Vine St., Avondale. More info: cincinnatizoo.org.
