Cocktails in The Gardens toasts its fifth anniversary Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and Oct. 13 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Hill Garden at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
The annual event invites Birmingham’s young professionals and music fans to mingle while enjoying the sounds of homegrown artists.
Admission is free for members and $15 for non-members. Imperial Catering will offer a cash bar, a signature drink along with wine and domestic beer and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
This season, a new V.I.P. area is $25 for both members and non-members. The V.I.P. area, limited to 100 patrons, offers Cocktails in The Gardens’ most scenic views, an expanded menu and a more fully-stocked cash bar.
“Surf on the Turf” will kick off the season Aug. 11, with entertainment by Birmingham native Jon Black. His music has provided the soundtrack for TV’s “90210,” “Private Practice” and “The United States of Tara.”
Fresh from an appearance at the Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, the singer/songwriter recently was featured in Paste Magazine and American Songwriter.
The evening’s signature drink is Sea Breeze.
The season’s second event, “Green and Serene,” will be Sept. 8. Downright co-founder Matthew DeVine will perform a solo set featuring many of the funk and rock selections from his band along with his own material. Downright has toured the Southeast for more than a decade, releasing four full-length albums and a DVD.
Midori Melon Punch will be the Sept. 8 signature drink.
The final event of 2011, “A Haunted Affair,” will be Oct. 13. One of Birmingham’s veteran acts, Rollin’ in the Hay, offers its eclectic blend of bluegrass and Southern rock.
Rollin’ in the Hay has opened for Gregg Allman, the Doobie Brothers, Alabama and Widespread Panic.
The evening’s signature drink is the Caramel Apple Martini.
Proceeds from Cocktails in The Gardens will help support the Friends’ mission to educate the public about plants, gardens and the environment.
For more information, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.bbgardens.org/cocktails”www.bbgardens.org/cocktails or contact Shelly McCarty at 414-3965 or HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]”[email protected].
