Each year in June, we are excited to kick off the summer with an evening of fun at the Farm — and you're invited! Look for live music, food from the Cafe, beverages, and a benefit raffle where you can win some awesome prizes.
Learn more about the details of the evening below, and let us know you're coming by responding to our Facebook event.
Chef Tamiko is bringing together a special summery menu of portable food options for an upscale tailgate-style meal from the Cafe.
For guests 21 and older, we've invited a couple of friends from the community to offer up a few botanical libations for the Solstice!
We're excited to host a special musical performance by a local Jazz Trio from Portland State University's School of Music & Theater, featuring vocals from Zach Connolly, Todd Marston on the keys, and Marshall Peterson rounding out the lower register with the upright bass.
Take a seat to soak it all in or simply enjoy the music while you partake in the other activities going on.
Make your very own mini terrarium with a little help from Cornell Farm! Our houseplant experts will have a station set up for creating a miniature world inside of a glass vessel.
The cost is $15 for a small terrarium or $30 for a medium one, which covers all the supplies needed, including one super-cute miniature houseplant. (Additional plants available for a $4 add-on fee.)
We are excited to welcome our friends and neighbors from Touchmark Fitness Club to lead a special yoga session just for the Solstice. The evening's program is just a small preview of what Touchmark offers to active adults age 50 and older who want to be part of a thoughtful and welcoming wellness community.
The lesson will begin immediately after the raffle drawing and last approximately 45 minutes. Feel free to borrow a yoga mat or bring your own! All are welcome, but space is limited.
We are excited to welcome artist Nicole Palazuelos to the Farm to offer free face painting for the kids in attendance! She will be offering a variety of designs inspired by the natural beauty found all around us in the summertime, from beautiful flowers to the sun and moon that shine in the sky.
We will be raffling off some amazing prizes at the end of the evening, so be sure to purchase a few tickets. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and will be available at the registers the day of the event. This year, we will also be offering raffle tickets online starting one week before the event. Stay tuned for online sales! (Please note: You must be present at the time of the drawing to claim your prize.)
All proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit our guests of honor, the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, who will have a booth at the event. Stop by to say hey and learn more about the amazing work they are doing to create a network of wildlife habitat across the Portland Metro area.
Raffle tickets are available at the registers until the time of the drawing at 8pm!
Live Music | 6:30 - 8:00 Experience the sounds of a Local Jazz Trio from PSU.
Concessions | 6:00 - 8:30 Our Executive Chef Tamiko Voorhees has brought together a special summery menu of portable food options, plus an assortment of cold beverages.
Adult Beverages | 6:00 - 8:30 For guests 21 and older, our friends from Aimsir Distilling Co. and Wild Roots Spirits will be here to offer samples of their fine summery spirits, plus cocktails! And look for wine and beer available from the Cafe.
Garden Tours | 6:15 & 7:15 Walk our quarter-acre display gardens around the Cafe with our in-house designer, Bill Clodfelter, to see how some of our favorite plants look when planted out in the landscape!
Terrarium Make & Take | 6:00 - 9:00 (while supplies last, small $15 | medium $30) Make your very own mini terrarium with a little help from Cornell Farm!
Kids Station | 6:00 - 9:00 For the young and young at heart, grab some chalk and decorate the Farm with bees, flowers, suns, stars, and more! We will also have coloring sheets and Flower Bingo cards that, when completed, can be redeemed for chicken treats to feed our little flock.
Face Painting | 6:00 - 8:00 Local artist Nicole Palazuelos will be posted up at our kids station to offer free face painting to the children in attendance, featuring beautiful designs inspired by nature.
Benefit Raffle Drawing | 8:00 You can win prizes in our benefit raffle for the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. Find more info above!
Sunset Yoga | 8:30 - 9:15 Our friends and neighbors from Touchmark Fitness Club will be leading a special yoga session just for the Solstice. Feel free to bring your own yoga mat, or borrow one! All are welcome, but space is limited.
The event is free to attend and no tickets are required to enter.
Food and drinks will be offered for sale, and some activities (such as the Terrarium Make-and-Take) also have an additional cost associated with them.
On-site parking is limited, so it's a good idea to arrive early to do a bit of shopping at the Farm beforehand. We will have a parking crew onsite to help you find a spot, and limited overflow parking will be available along 82nd Place.
To help as many people enjoy the evening as possible, please consider biking, carpooling, using ridesharing services, or taking public transportation wherever possible. (We are conveniently located on TriMet bus line 20 - Burnside/Stark, just up the road from the Sunset Station Park & Ride.)
Yes! We will have team members posted around the Nursery and at the registers to assist you with any purchases you may wish to make.
However, please be aware that there may be fewer team members available to answer questions. If you anticipate needing more individualized attention or help loading soil or other heavy items, we kindly ask you to visit us earlier in the day and come back for the Solstice Celebration!
We are happy to hold purchased items for you until you're ready to leave, or for up to 24 hours if you need to pick them up the following day.
You got us! We figured a weekend was more conducive to a party than a Tuesday night, but we're just as excited about the start of summer, even if the sun is in a slightly different position in the sky.
Our weekly newsletter is the perfect way to keep up with the freshest seasonal updates from the Nursery and Cafe.
