WHAT: Approximately 300 party-goers braved the chilly 40-something temperatures to venture out to the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Feb. 9 for Tapas on the Trails, an annual event outdoors in nature to celebrate Valentine’s Day with delicious food and beverages. Billed as a “romantic evening getaway without leaving the city,” the sold-out event was the most successful to date, with more than $24,000 raised for the Arboretum’s mission of education and conservation.
Guests enjoyed a softly-lit walk through the Arboretum’s nature sanctuary, pausing along the way at food stations to indulge in a delicious six-course meal of French-inspired dishes provided by Chef Kevin Bryant and Cotton Culinary. Nature was an exquisite backdrop for Tapas on the Trails, as people explored the savanna landscape, sat along the donor boardwalk near one of the ponds and later got to hang out with live owls in the courtyard.
The dishes, from appetizers to desserts, were paired perfectly with carefully selected beers from Saint Arnold’s Brewing Company, along with wines curated by Double Decanted. Three of the four beer selections provided by Saint Arnold’s were newly released. The evening was capped off at the Nature Center, where guests were able to partake in sparkling wine, handcrafted desserts (including Apple Tarte Tatin) and the popular French press coffee and hot chocolate bar hosted by Katz Coffee. The adorable screech owl and the great horned owl were courtesy of the Wildlife Center of Texas, although the Arboretum, which is rich in wildlife, has its own owls making appearances when they are inclined.
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 (5 p.m. – 9 p.m.)
WHERE: Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
4501 Woodway Dr., Houston, 77024
GUESTS: Board Members
Cullen Geiselman
Staff
Debbie Markey, Executive Director
Christine Mansfield, Marketing and Development Manager
Katie Campbell, Senior Manager of Operations and Events
Additional Guests
Jill and Peter Mokry
Rosemary and Jason Gaswint
Nicole and Joseph Rosen
Jan and Berk Donaldson
Julia and Timothy Carmack
Donna and Jim Bennett
Teresa, Bridget and Joel Pelanne
Misty and Joseph DiSantis
Kimberly and Chris Elliott
Adam Perkins
Margaret Blue
Barbara and Stephen Hall
Mary and Joel Gronberg
Loren and Paul Byrnes
Rachel and Lance Wilson
Cyndy and William Firkus
Stephanie and Chris Fuller
Caroline and Radford Neuhaus
Brad Wilfahrt
Kay and Paul Mansfield
Larry Mansfield
Angela and Steve Osborne
Rebecca and Byron Douglass
Sarika and Chirag Patel
Elizabeth and Nicholas Zugaro
Lizette and Kurt Lobpries
Sharon and Ezra Yacob
Josephine and Rahul Vashi
PHOTOS: Christine Mansfield and BLVD Photography.
MORE INFO: www.houstonarboretum.org
ABOUT: The mission of the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is to provide education about the natural environment to people of all ages and to protect and enhance the Arboretum as a haven and as a sanctuary for native plants and animals. The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, one of the first nature education facilities for children in the state of Texas, provides services to nearly 200,000 visitors annually. The Arboretum also provides nature education for more than 10,000 children annually. For more information about the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center and levels of membership, visit houstonarboretum.org.