Friends of the Garden is pleased partner with Farmers Market of the Ozarks for two nights of Romance in the Garden: A Taste of Market Marry-ment. The event takes place on Friday and Saturday, October 4 and 5, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, Mo. These romantic evenings highlight the nighttime beauty of the stroll garden while celebrating the harmony of garden to table cuisine.

Take a stroll through the serene garden decorated with ambient lights and with romantic background music by acoustic guitarist Shannon Stine on Friday and harpist Drew Holt on Saturday.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., enjoy a special sampling of cuisine from local chefs featuring a variety of meats, vegetables, appetizers and desserts from Bechard Family Farms, Vaught Farms, Peakview Farm, Dove Creek Wagu and Back Forty Bison. Food vendors include Firelight Pizza, Cha Family Foods, A&A Orchards, Gardener’s Orchards, A&M Donuts and more. Purchase wine and beer and a variety of moonshine from Bub’s Distillery.

Tasting tickets include cuisine sampling, one beverage ticket per person and one wishing lantern and may be preordered by visiting loveyourfarmer.com. Advanced tickets are $60/couple and $35/individual. Tickets purchased after Thursday, October 3 are $75/couple and $40/individual.

Strolling only admission is $15/couple or $10/individual and may be purchased in advance or at the gate. Wishing lanterns may be purchased at the gate for $5.

From 6-6:30 p.m., a special marriage ceremony (a mock wedding of “Pea and Carrot”) celebrates the garden to table union of fresh and local cuisine.

All proceeds from this event benefit the enhancement of the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden and the mission of Farmers Market of the Ozarks.

Formed in 1985, the 7.5-acre Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden is the oldest attraction at the Springfield Botanical Gardens. It is an authentic representation of traditional Japanese landscape design featuring a large koi pond, moon bridge, meditation garden and tea house. The Stroll Garden is maintained through partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, Friends of the Garden, Springfield Sister Cities Association and Springfield’s sister city of Isesaki, Japan.

For more information, please call 417-864-1341 or e-mail info@friendsofthegarden.org.

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