A La Carte at the Zoo | Overnight Festival Builds at the Milwaukee County Zoo
After-hours installs that keep guest experience front and center
A La Carte at the Zoo is a multi-day food and entertainment festival hosted throughout the Milwaukee County Zoo. To support vendor service zones and event flow across the grounds, JK Rentals delivered an after-hours install plan designed to be efficient, accurate, and ready before the Zoo opens each day.
JK Rentals supported A La Carte at the Zoo with a large footprint of frame tents placed across the Milwaukee County Zoo, plus a tension tent for key vendor coverage.
A closer look at what makes A La Carte at the Zoo installations run smoothly across a high-traffic public venue.
Overnight Installs
Coordinated installs after hours so that upon opening the Zoo’s pathways, the guest experience remains clear.
Layout Collaboration
With tents distributed across the grounds, layout collaboration ensured each vendor zone was intentionally positioned and aligned with the overall event flow.
Food Vendor Readiness
Installations accounted for food screening requirements to support health inspections and vendor readiness.
On-Site Project Management
On-site project management helped streamline the build, resulting in earlier finishes and fewer total setup hours in 2025.
Challenges & Execution
Working overnight can strain focus and visibility. The team managed limited lighting with light towers and the fatigue that can come with night shifts, while still hitting the daily completion window.
Testimonial
JK Rentals is great to work with. They’re willing to install our equipment after hours so it’s not disruptive to our guests experience. They’re great about working with me on the layout so everything is just right!
Justin Dunlap Events Manager, Milwaukee County Zoo
Milwaukee, WI
System Additions
High-traffic public venues require more than tent placement. Entry planning, power routing, ground protection, and crowd-management accessories are aligned with inspection timelines and daily reopenings to keep operations seamless.
Planning a multi-day festival or public-venue event? We’ll develop an install schedule and layout strategy that protects guest experience while meeting tight operational windows.
