The rain and cold temperatures didn’t dampen the spirits of 750 people who gathered on Friday, August 25th at the Denver Botanic Gardens for the 39th annual Fête des Fleurs, co-chaired by Mareill Kiernan and Lindsay Morton Gaiser. This year’s event was designed with inspiration from the Garden’s most recognizable features, the serene Monet Pool which features a collection of aquatic plants including waterlilies, pickerel plants, cannas, iris and more.
Due to rain, our umbrella-toting guests were ushered into the Freyer – Newman Center and Boettcher Memorial Center for the cocktail reception that spotlighted four specialty cocktails including a Lavender Paloma garnished with sprigs of lavender from Chatfield Farms. A fun addition to this year’s event was the darling Bubbles & Brews bar cart which provided various libations throughout the evening including a Manhattan cocktail from Locke & Co Distilling.
In traditional fashion, guests enjoyed dining in one of five locations throughout the Gardens. Following dinner, guests were invited to enjoy late night desserts and dance to music from the Jerry Barnett Orchestra in the Freyer – Newman Center.
The flowers were artfully designed and organized by our own Garden Club of Denver members with leadership from Nancy Jones, Mary Schaefer, Nina Sisk and Cora Wheeler. In addition, GCD members Becky Schaub and Marianne Sulser also served on the Fête committee this year.
The Fête contributes nearly $350,000 annually to Denver Botanic Gardens’ core programs including education access, public outreach, horticulture, research and conservation. This year’s event raised $512,664.
