KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- Knoxville Zoo announced today that Feast with the Beasts has been selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's (STS) "Top 20 Events" for the month of August 2008.

This is the 14th year the zoo has hosted the event which keeps getting bigger and better each year. From 350 guests and 24 vendors in 1995 to more than 2,200 guests and nearly 40 vendors in 2007, Feast with the Beasts has become one of the zoo's most popular and successful fund-raising events. 

"We are excited to have been selected as one of the premier events in the southeast," said Jim Vlna, Knoxville Zoo's executive director. "We are proud to host Feast with the Beasts and pleased it has awarded this honor."

Knoxville Zoo will host Feasts with the Beasts Saturday, August 16, 7-11 p.m. Each year, guests 21 years and older sample the most delectable foods and beverages from more than 35 area restaurants and vendors. Tickets to Feast with the Beasts include admission to the event, complimentary food and beverages and groovin' entertainment by bands on two performance stages.

According to STS, the "Top 20 Events" publication receives extensive exposure in print, media, web, television and radio in the United States and Canada with more than 400 of these outlets receiving "Top 20" listing. Additionally, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution prints the "Top 20 Events" as a regular quarterly feature of its travel section, and the events will be featured on the New Orleans-based radio show "Travel Talk Radio."

Founded in 1983, the STS is dedicated to the promotion and development of tourism to its member states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The membership includes state travel offices, attractions, hotels, motels, resorts, convention and visitors bureaus, airlines, car rental agencies, newspapers, magazines and other travel-related organizations. Its corporate partners are Days Inn, Amtrak, Madden Media, Smith Advertising, Southern Living, Tripinfo.com and USDM.net.

Knoxville Zoo is located off exit 392 from Interstate 40 and is open every day except Christmas Day. The zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is committed to the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education. Currently, the zoo is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and on weekends from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. Next-day admission is free after 3 p.m. For more information, please call 865.637.5331 ext. 300 or visit www.knoxville-zoo.org.