2009 Gala in the Garden: A Night of Romance

Benefits Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami
305-794-6840 (Vicki Williamson)

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Gala in the Garden 2009: A Night of Romance will be chaired by Brenda Nestor Castellano and Swanee DiMare. Jean Ellen Shehan will serve as Honorary Chairman, with Paula Brockway, Joyce Burns, Lin Lougheed, Frances Aldrich Sevilla-Sacasa and Penny Stamps as Philanthropic Chairmen. Barbara Tria is the Silent Auction Chairman.

This year’s Gala in the Garden for 450 guests will begin with cocktails and a highlight of the evening, a silent auction, in the Northern Trust Ballroom of the Jean duPont Shehan Visitor Center. Guests will proceed to a large lakeside pavilion for dining and dancing to the music of the Peter Duchin Orchestra — one of the most sought after bands of the modern era — which is returning for the third year in a row.

Along with catering the event, Le Basque will create the innovative décor for the evening in tandem with Karla Conceptual Event Experiences. This year’s décor features a feeling of European charm and elegance as the pavilion is filled with an abundance of pastel-colored flowers flowing out of flower baskets as well as an array of antique botanical prints lining the outside of the structure. Gala guests will not only be enjoying a spectacular evening in the stunning tropical landscape, they will be supporting Fairchild’s vital programs in education, research and conservation.

For more information about the gala, please contact Vicki Williamson at 305-794-6840 or vwilliamson@fairchildgarden.org.

About Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. It is one of the premier research and education-based gardens in the world and a recognized international leader in conservation. Fairchild houses the National Palm Collection, recognized by the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) as the world’s greatest living collection of palms; operates an education program reaching more than 30,000 school children per year; hosts popular events like the International Mango and Orchid Festivals, the Ramble, concerts, affiliated plant society shows and sales and more; and, is a not-for-profit organization relying on the support of its 35,000 members and benefactors. Fairchild is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables (Miami), Florida 33156. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for Children 6-17 and free to children 5 and under and Fairchild members. For more information, please visit www.fairchildgarden.org.