Signs of spring appear in many ways for northern gardeners. Some, like seed catalogs and indoor grow kits, appear when there’s still snow on the ground. Another might show up as a rare 55-degree day in February. And then, for the last 10+ years, there’s been the Spring Garden Gala in April—the metro area’s premiere spring event for kicking off the season in the grand manner it deserves.

History of the Spring Garden Gala

The Minnesota Horticultural Society put on its first Spring Garden Gala in April of 2012 at the Lake Elmo Inn, at that time calling it “Spring at the Inn”. Sensing the buzz and excitement that northern gardeners tended to share each spring, the organization decided it was time to seize the moment and start bringing its members and community together in a fun and festive setting.

Since its origin in 2012, the Spring Garden Gala has grown in attendance each year, starting with around 150 attendees and now exceeding 350 with a large waitlist. Fundraising totals have also grown exponentially, with around $4,000 brought in the first year to over $25,000 in 2025 pre-event totals!

What to expect at the Spring Garden Gala

1. A thrilling plant-style show. Ever since its humble beginnings, the Gala has been known as a “plant-style fashion show”, highlighting some of the industry’s trendiest new plants in a runway-style setting. Many of the plants have been generously provided by the area’s largest nurseries and growers, including Bailey Nurseries, Monrovia and Proven Winners Color Choice.
2. Engaging speakers. Speakers from these nurseries are often on hand each year to discuss the plants, why they’re popular, and how they may fit nicely as a new addition to any garden. At the end of each event, these must-have plants are auctioned off to eager gardeners to raise additional funds for the Minnesota Horticultural Society.
3. A gourmet lunch with other gardeners. Unlike evening fundraising soirees, the Spring Garden Gala usually takes place over the bright, sunny noon hour and comes with a gourmet lunch and drinks along with entertaining emcees (previous hosts and speakers have included television personalities Belinda Jensen and Elizabeth Reis, along with Dale Bachman, Ryan McEnaney and Debbie Lonnee of Bailey Nurseries). Guests are encouraged to mingle—whether you come with a group or solo, there’s always something to talk about!
4. Chances to walk away with gardening goodies. During and after eating, attendees are treated to presentations by local gardening experts and have an opportunity to participate in a “wall of wine”, a fun activity that starts with bidding on random, wrapped bottles of wine and potentially walking away with a bottle that’s more expensive than the bid price.

There is also typically a traditional silent auction, featuring baskets, gifts, and, of course, interesting houseplants and perennials for attendees to bid on. Whether you win, lose or don’t bid at all, every attendee walks home with a “swag bag” featuring fun giveaways from the same local nurseries and growers!

What does the Garden Gala Support?

The Spring Garden Gala has become the primary fundraiser each year for MSHS’s community outreach programs, Minnesota Green and Garden-in-a-Box. Proceeds from ticket sales, the wall of wine, auctions and on-site donations all go towards increasing the availability of these important resources to the communities that need them.

Who helps run the Garden Gala?

Over the years, the gala has grown to such size that it now comes with a full committee of its own to plan, market and pull off the event. Known as the Friends of MSHS, this committee includes past and current MSHS board members, volunteers and industry professionals who work for months to find a location and caterer, book speakers, gather auction items and wine and set up the event to look as spectacular as it does each year.

On the day of the event, the committee, along with additional volunteers and staff, work diligently to check attendees in, provide speakers with the support they need and coordinate auction items with their winners—among many other details!

Needless to say, without the support of this committee and volunteers, there would be no Spring Garden Gala.

Keep an eye out for next year!

Thanks to the word-of-mouth from past attendees and support from local media, sponsors, and community partners, the Spring Garden Gala has grown into such a hot-ticket event that tickets hardly stay up for sale longer than a couple of weeks. If you’re interested in attending a future Gala, the best way to stay informed is to subscribe to our bi-weekly E-News for save the date and ticket sales announcements. If you’re part of a garden club or master gardener community, be sure to reach out and let us know you’d like to be notified when tickets launch.

We appreciate your interest in this special event, and we look forward to hosting you at a future Garden Gala soon!