South Coast Botanic Garden’s 9th Annual Farm to Table Dinner offered an evening of elegance, enchantment, and purpose. Hosted exclusively for Garden Circle Members, the Garden’s highest level of membership, the event celebrated the beauty of community and the power of philanthropy—support that helps keep the Garden blooming for generations to come.
Guests arrived in striking black and white attire, perfectly matching the evening’s theme of contrast. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the cocktail hour came alive with a touch of the wild: two feathered ambassadors—a majestic Eagle Owl and a graceful Barn Owl—made stunning appearances, captivating the crowd with their piercing eyes and quiet poise.
As twilight turned to night, Pianomania took the stage, returning by popular demand after their sold-out Sunset Series show. Their dynamic dueling pianos act filled the Garden with laughter, song, and plenty of audience participation, transforming the evening into a joyous celebration under the crescent moon.
Guests followed a glowing trail of luminarias to beautifully set communal tables stretching beneath the stars. Before dinner, the Garden, in partnership with the San Dimas Raptor Rescue, released a rehabilitated owl into nature that will hopefully now call the Garden “home.”
Deputy Director, Danielle Lacharite Brown
(left) with Martha and Don Tuffli.
Guests enjoyed a four-course, farm-forward meal inspired by the Garden’s seasonal bounty—each dish a playful balance of light and dark, savory and sweet, familiar and unexpected.
From cocktails and owls to music and moonlight, the event was a reminder of how magical the Garden can be after dark—and how vital its Garden Circle Members are in keeping that magic alive.
