By Abbey Reighard

Guests at the 12th Annual Night in the Tropics will be up late, or as those at the National Aviary are saying, up owl night.

The Night in the Tropics will be held this Saturday at the National Aviary, 700 Arch St., from 7 to 11 p.m. A VIP opening reception will be held at 6 p.m.

Every year the Night in the Tropics has a theme. This year’s theme is fire, according to Robing Weber, director of marketing and communications at the National Aviary. Guests are being asked to wear red and orange to the event.

The 21 and over event will include various dishes from local restaurants, music by Jimbo and the Soupbones, dancing, photo booths, a mosaic which guests are invited to help construct with paint and tiles, massages, access to the Aviary’s bird exhibits, the opportunity to see birds up close as they are handled by Aviary staff, and fire performances by Steel Town Fire.

Guests can also vote on their favorite food of the night. The categories will include best sweet, best savory and best presentation.

For a $5 donation, guests can also have their picture taken with a penguin.

Tickets are $65 for general admission and $125 for VIP admission. VIP guests will receive free valet parking, admission an hour early, access to VIP exclusive exhibits, full bar and a VIP only bird show.

Weber said 825 tickets have already been sold for the event. Weber added that the staff at the National Aviary had planned for between 800 and 1,000 guests to attend this year.

Proceeds from the event will go to the care of the birds at the National Aviary.

According to their official website, the Aviary is home to over 500 birds and more than 150 different species of birds from all over the world.

BNY Mellon will be the presenting sponsor at the Night in the Tropics.

“We’re really grateful for the support they gave us all these years,” Weber said.

Weber said she hopes guests enjoy learning about the birds that they will be helping by attending the event.

“I hope we provide information that people might not have otherwise known,” Weber said. “People can see the birds that their donations will be having an impact on.”

Tickets for The Night in the Tropics can be purchased online at www.showclix.com. For more information on the National Aviary, visit www.aviary.org.