I guess science museum lovers and garden lovers are very different since the Academy of Sciences and the SF Botanical Garden are having their pricey, annual galas just two days apart this month.
SF Botanical Garden’s Garden Feast 2009 starts us off during the day on September 23.
Enjoy lunch on the Great Meadow in the very heart of the Botanical Garden, along with a better than ever silent auction of plants and gardening related items, a chance to stay in a luxurious Paris apartment (actually the odds are great on this one), and an outstanding speaker, Nell Newman of Newman’s Own (oh boy do I love their salad dressing!).
Proceeds from the event go towards the Garden’s educational program which brings 10,000 K-5 San Francisco Public School students to the Garden to learn about nature, conservation, and sustainability. Tickets for the event range from $175 for an individual all the way up to $10,000 for a table of 10.
If penguins and rainforests are more your thing, you may want to pony up for the Big Bang Gala at the California Academy of Sciences on September 25.
Explore the museum, dine on fabulous food, dance under the stars, and enjoy live entertainment by Chris Isaak (oh Wicked Game, a true classic!). And like their next-door neighbors, the proceeds from this event also go towards their Academy education programs.
Unlike many evening galas where formal dress is the norm, the Big Bang calls for “green/festive” attire. Miss Manners doesn’t have a definition for that one so I’ll tell you what it says on their site: “In honor of the Academy’s emphasis on sustainability, reuse! Borrowed elegance and vintage finery encouraged!”
Ticket prices and what you get for them range for this event. $125 lets you “enjoy lighter fare and desserts beginning at 9:00 pm”. Shell out $10,000 for a table and you get the works – seated dinner for you and 9 friends, premiere wine, valet parking, and a chance to win exciting prizes. For ten grand, how about they just give me a prize? 🙂
But in all seriousness, these two galas are for a good cause. So if you’re a supporter or just a fan of these Golden Gate Park institutions, think about attending. They can always use your support!
Sarah B.