The Preservation Society of Newport County will hold its annual Holiday Dinner Dance event on Saturday, December 14 at 7:00 pm. This black-tie evening will begin with delicious hors d’oeuvre and cocktails amid the grandeur of The Breakers, which will be lavishly decorated for the holiday season. After drinks, guests will be seated for a holiday-inspired four-course dinner in the Great Hall and Dining Room, followed by dancing in the Music Room. To purchase tickets, call the Special Events Office at (401) 847-1000, ext. 150 or ext. 140.
Tickets will not be available through the Newport Mansions website. Questions? Email Events@NewportMansions.org. $1000 Patrons. $600 Preservation Society Members, $750 Non-Members
Come celebrate with The Gibson House Museum as we commemorate the 150th birthday of Gibson House Museum founder Charlie Gibson. Stop by on November 21 from 4:30 – 7:30 for a self-guided tour to explore the museum at your own pace. Along the way, enjoy music, parlor games, a display of Victorian fashions, poetry readings, light refreshments, and more! Register HERE. $18 for Gibson House members, $22 for nonmembers.
The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms will be decorated in their traditional, lavish fashion for The Preservation Society of Newport County’s “Holidays at the Newport Mansions,” from November 22, 2024 to January 1, 2025. In addition, Chateau-sur-Mer will be open for the first two weeks of the holiday season. Its first floor will be fully decorated in the spirit of the holidays – the first time in 25 years! Nearly 30 Christmas trees are exquisitely decorated to complement the décor and theme of each room, like Mr. Vanderbilt’s tree in The Breakers, ornamented with trains and top hats! Hundreds of poinsettias, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral arrangements add color, warmth and life. As always, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree in the Great Hall of The Breakers – made up of 150 poinsettia plants – provides a perfect holiday photo opportunity. Admission for daytime house tours during the holiday period is by our regular tickets: The Breakers, One-House, Duo or Trio. These tickets are good for any date and time the mansions are open and can be purchased online or in person when you visit. All houses closed Thanksgiving Day, November 28, and Christmas Day, December 25. On December 24, all houses close at 2 pm.
Please join fellow nighttime enthusiasts for a fantastical journey through sound and light at The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts. The ethereal winter landscape inspired by The Mount’s unique architecture and history is open each Sunday through Thursday, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Night. NightWood combines music, lighting, and theatrical elements to create seven unique scenes that evoke feelings of wonder, mystery, and magic.
Wander the illuminated 1 mile route through the woods and gardens for an otherworldly experience that evokes wonder and awakens the imagination. It includes both paved and unpaved pathways, inclines, and stairs. It takes approximately 45 minutes. Please use caution and stick to the paths. Dress for the weather! Trails may be muddy or icy at times, so winter boots are strongly recommended. Our NightWood Café is open for every performance, from 5pm to 8pm, serving snacks and hot beverages in the Forecourt. The Mount Bookstore will also be open for NightWood visitors. Advanced purchase of timed-entry tickets is highly recommended. Dates and times frequently sell out.
Join The New Garden Society, Saturday, November 16th, for a sunset celebration at the Boston Nature Center, complete with a silent auction, food and drinks. Hear from members of our organization about the past decade of work, and join us in envisioning the decades to come.
Since 2013, TNGS has been teaching and planting behind the walls of Greater Boston prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers. We transform these landscapes into productive gardens that provide a therapeutic space, access to fresh food, and educational resources for our incarcerated neighbors. Through our programs, incarcerated individuals practice job skills and connect with their peers and their environment. We’ve trained nearly 1000 individuals in the art and science of plants. We don’t do it alone. Donations from friends, family, and businesses have sustained this transformative work.
As well as being a celebration, this is a fundraiser to support our ongoing work. We are offering a limited slate of tickets at no cost. We hope that those who can afford to do so will donate generously. If free tickets run out, and cost is a barrier to you, reach out to info@thenewgardensociety.org to attend. To purchase sponsor tickets, visit https://www.thenewgardensociety.org/decade
The shop is open for the 2024 Garden Club of the Back Bay wreath sale. Please place your order before November 30. You have almost limitless choices for customization. There are two available sizes – standard wreaths fluff out to between 22″ – 24″ wide, and large wreaths are a generous 31″ wide. The fresh balsam wreaths are enhanced with extra greens for texture and even more fragrance. Bows come in many colors, and are wired. You can specify tones or patterns in the notes while purchasing online. Perhaps you prefer a bright Christmas red, or a brick red, or a purplish red but not quite burgundy: just tell the Club, and they will do their best. The fully decorated wreaths, available in standard size only, are works of art. Best of all, every wreath purchase helps keep the neighborhood trees healthy and happy. To order, visit https://bostonflora.com/store. Once you click onto a size or style you prefer, more details will be revealed. The wreaths can be delivered in the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the South End December 3 – 5, or picked up at The First Lutheran Church of Boston, on the corner of Marlborough and Berkeley Streets.
Join the Women’s Lunch Place and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay on Thursday, November 14 at 6 pm for a festive benefit for Women’s Lunch Place and NABB. The event takes place at 67 Newbury Street in Boston. Mingle with your neighbors during this fun event while supporting two worthwhile causes! Enjoy a delicious harvest of culinary selections, wine, and craft beers.
Get some early holiday shopping done during our Silent Auction, which features sports tickets, restaurant gift cards, and more. We will also have an art gallery full of beautiful creations from WLP guests, all available for purchase. Sponsorship opportunities may be found at https://womenslunchplace.org/nabb You will also find information on donating silent auction items and purchasing tickets.
The Board of Trustees of Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) has announced its 2024 Honorary Medals recipients. The 7 winners will be celebrated at the 121st Honorary Medals Dinner at the Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA on October 30, 2024. This year, MHS will continue a 193-year tradition of awarding medals to individuals and organizations for their contributions to excellence in horticulture for the public good.
Douglas W. Tallamy will be awarded the George Robert White Medal of Honor, MHS’s highest honor, for eminent service in the field of horticulture, and will deliver the keynote speech during the ceremony. A New York Times bestselling author, his books, including Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard (2020) and The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees (2021), have delivered the importance of horticultural conservation to homes across the world. As a professor in University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, he advocates for smaller lawns, native plants, and habitats for native species. His advocacy work is echoed through his founding of Homegrown National Park, a grassroots organization that encourages everyone to grow native plants.
Matthew Cunningham will receive the Thomas Roland Medal for exceptional skill in horticulture and lectures. Founding Principal of Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC, he is an award-winning and nationally recognized landscape architect.
Gold Medals for eminent horticultural accomplishments will be awarded to David Barnett (President and CEO Emeritus, Mount Auburn Cemetery) and Tom Ryan (Senior Principal and Owner, Ryan Associates Landscape Architecture and Planning). Patrick Chassé (landscape architect), Dr. Barbara E. Millen (Board Chair, Center for Plant Conservation; Trustee, Massachusetts Horticultural Society and a long time Board Member of The Boston Committee of the GCA), and Murphy Westwood, PhD (Vice President of Science and Conservation, The Morton Arboretum) will receive Silver Medals for their noteworthy service in horticulture. More details about each awardee and their recognition will become available at https://www.masshort.org/honorary-medals/.
The 121st Honorary Medals Dinner will take place Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 6 pm at Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden at Elm Bank. The dinner will be preceded by a day-long symposium, featuring lectures by medal winners Doug Tallamy, Matt Cunningham, Tom Ryan, and Murphy Westwood. Tickets for the awards ceremony including dinner and drinks are $180; symposium tickets are $250 for General Admission and $200 for Boston Society of Landscape Architects and MHS members. Proceeds benefit excellence in horticulture at MHS. For event information and to purchase tickets when they are released, please visit https://www.masshort.org/honorary-medals/
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is thrilled to announce its inaugural Young Friends event on Thursday, October 10 from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm in the Leventritt Garden. The evening will feature festivities and activities in the landscape after dark – a time when the Arboretum is usually closed to the visiting public. Designed to appeal to those 21 – 40 or who are young at heart, this event is a premier opportunity to immerse yourself in the plants, purpose, and peacefulness of the Arnold Arboretum, with other metropolitan nature enthusiasts. You will be supporting your urban oasis. This is a 21 and older event. $75 for members, $110 for nonmembers. Register HERE.
Here is one more Oktoberfest, raising funds for the Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street in Springfield. The October 3 beer tasting featuring local breweries and homebrewers, music by the Real DJ TJ Music Entertainment, hors d’oeuvre, and a cash bar for additional beverage options. Age 21+. RVSP recommended at https://springfieldmuseums.org/program/oktoberfest-2024/
