Enchanted Flamboyance: An Evening of Wonder

Everglades Wonder Gardens’ fifth annual “Enchanted Flamboyance: An Evening of Wonder” offers a festive evening for guests on Thursday, Feb. 20.

The signature fundraising event begins at 6 p.m. with wine, hors d’oeuvres and a garden stroll. Guests will enjoy exploring the new pavilion exhibits, as well as a photobooth and art installation by local artist Jackie Morelisse. A Crave Culinaire-catered dinner follows at 7:30 p.m., along with live entertainment. During dinner, an exciting live auction will offer vacation and sports packages, wine tours and more.

Proceeds from this year’s Enchanted Flamboyance will go toward creating a premier flamingo experience to enhance one of the Wonder Gardens’ most popular attractions: hand-feeding the flamingos. The project includes an updated lagoon habitat for children and adults alike to connect with flamingos and additional birds, such as the roseate spoonbill and scarlet ibis. Additionally, it will be surrounded with pink orchids in the trees and pink water lilies in the lagoon.

Patron VIP tickets are available for $275 and include an invitation to an exclusive Patron Party Thursday, Feb. 13 and preferred seating for the Enchanted dinner and program. Individual tickets are $200 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit www.evergladeswondergardens.com or call 239-992-2591.

An 18-karat white gold and diamond antique pin, valued at $2,800 and donated by Amoré Jewelers, will be raffled at the event. Raffle tickets priced at $50 each or $100 for three are available for sale now and during the event. The winner does not need to be present to win. Tickets can be purchased at the Wonder Gardens or through any board member.

Connie McIntosh and Linda Gutshall are serving as co-chairs of the Enchanted fundraiser. Signature Sponsors are Judy and Bill Turner; Flamingo Sponsor is Billy the Bee Foundation; and Peacock Sponsors are Donna and Augie Turturro. Parrot Sponsors include Bonita Boarding Kennel & Pet Camp; Brennan, Manna & Diamond, P.L.; FineMark National Bank & Trust; Garner Smith Group of Merrill Lynch; Lake Michigan Credit Union; Marti Russell; O’Donnell Landscape Inc.; and The Terraces at Bonita Springs. Presstige Printing and éBella Magazine are the Media Sponsors; Amoré Jewelers is the Jewelry Raffle Sponsor; and Jacke McCurdy is the Event Photographer Sponsor.

An 83-year-old cultural icon and designated historic resource of the City of Bonita Springs, the Everglades Wonder Gardens is a community centerpiece that has provided generations of Floridians and visitors the opportunity to experience rare and exotic plants and wildlife.

The environmental, educational, historical and recreational attraction is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Throughout 3.5 acres of botanical gardens, there are thousands of unusual trees and plants and hundreds of rescued birds and reptiles for visitors to enjoy.

In 2014, Bonita Wonder Gardens, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed to purchase and operate the Everglades Wonder Gardens. While preserving the iconic attraction, the nonprofit organization continues to restore wildlife enclosures, nurture the botanical beauty of the property, add education programs and further enhance this Bonita Springs jewel.

For more information, visit www.evergladeswondergardens.com.