Moonlight and Music in the Garden Saturday

People will have an opportunity to experience an area of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens at a time it is normally unavailable to visitors Saturday.

NTBG presents its 6th annual “Moonlight and Music in the Garden” fundraiser in the McBryde Garden from 6 to 10:30 p.m.

Ron Wiley will host the event that includes dinner in and dancing under the stars to music by the Blond Boys.

A silent auction will feature pieces from artists such as Sally French, Robin McCoy, and Patrice Pendarvis.

“We have a variety of items including jewelry, airline tickets from Hawaiian Airlines, and special hats created by Hauoli Wichman,” said Rebecca Fries of NTBG. “We’ll also have the specially-painted wine bottles which have been popular during the previous events.”

Other items include wood carvings by Robin Clark, jewelry by Heifara Aiamu as well as botanical prints from the NTBG archives.

Donna Wilcox, co-chair for the fundraiser, said the McBryde Garden is a luscious place to be shared by everyone and Moonlight and Music in the Garden has become a “do-not-miss opportunity.”

“The work we do at NTBG is recognized throughout the world,” said Chipper Wichman, director and CEO for NTBG. “Like most nonprofit organizations, we need the support of the public to help us continue. Participating in Moonlight and Music in the Garden is a festive opportunity for our Kauai community to champion our efforts, and the money we raise will help NTBG continue work on its master plan which includes an improved network of trails and the creation of a new hub for educational activities.”

NTBG is dedicated to preserving tropical plant diversity and stemming the tide of extinction through plant exploration, propagation, habitat restoration, scientific research and education.

Tickets are available at www.ntbg.org/moonlightmusic, or by calling 332-6500. Deadline for getting tickets online is today.