With each year comes the new task to plan and execute our Private Events Showcases. We host two Private Events Showcases a year, in which we invite all of our clients, industry professionals, colleagues, and friends to come taste, sample, and see how unique hosting an event at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden can be! Whether it’s showcasing the gorgeous Botanical Garden and Magnolia Room in the spring or lounging by the elephants at Ndoki Lodge in the fall, we live to create a new and fun experience, each and every time.
Columbia’s Best Event Vendors and Riverbanks Zoo
For every showcase, we bring together event experts, products and services to answer questions and offer inspiration to help you create the ideal event experience. On Tuesday, October 2nd, we hosted our Fall Private Events Showcase and we had the privilege of partnering with some of Columbia’s best event professionals, including:
- Bonnie Brunt Cakes
- Jim Leblanc
- Palmetto Party Booths
- Pantasia Steel Band
- Party Reflections
- Sound Quest DJ’s
- Southern Hook Photography
These vendors not only help elevate our showcase but their support allows our clients to meet with professionals that we know will provide great service in the entertainment, photography and baking industries.
New Experiences in Fun, Unique Columbia Private Events Venues
With the exciting arrival of our baby gorilla, ZaKota, we knew that showcasing Gorilla Base Camp this yearwas a must! The quaint space included a classic bar setup with beer and wine, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a special Gorilla Feeding for our guests to delight in. After popping by to see our primate friends, the night continued at the Ndoki Lodge and its outdoor patio (exclusive for all evening events). We had Jim Leblanc singing sweet melodies, beverages being poured from the taps at The Watering Hole, Riverbanks’ newest private event venue addition, plus our new outdoor furniture and lighting giving ambiance to the night! Inside of the Ndoki Lodge, we set up an estate table that featured upgraded linen, china, flatware, and goblets. We’ve fallen in love with the estate table look; it provides ample room to comfortably seat guests, while allowing space for decorative centerpieces and serving ware.
On top of creating new experiences in these fun private events venues, we also featured some of our 2018 menu items. These items proved to be our most ambitious, unique, and tasty items yet – some of our favorites being:
- Prosciutto & Melon Skewers with a Port Wine Reduction
- Crab Cakes with a caper mustard sauce
- Roasted Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
- Fried Pork Pot Stickers with a sweet chili dipping sauce
- Mini Beef Wellingtons served with a Dijon horseradish sauce
- Fresh from The Coast Action Station which features oysters, poached shrimp, sea vegetable salad, and traditional accompaniments
Interested in seeing all of our new menu offerings? You can view them by visiting our Menu Page.
Memorable Inspiration for Corporate Events, Parties, Weddings
Our showcases are the perfect time for our clients to taste our culinary creations, see an event in action, get inspired for their very own event, and meet our entire Riverbanks Zoo & Garden – Events & Hospitality team in person. This is why we are so dedicated to making each showcase a unique and memorable experience.
We look forward to seeing you at our next private event showcase which will be hosted in the spring of 2019. If you have any questions about hosting an event at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, please give us a call at (803)602-0900 or send us an email at planyourevent@riverbanks.org.
