DINNER UNDER THE STARS

30TH ANNUAL DINNER UNDER THE STARS

Join us for the 30th annual Dinner Under the Stars on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Join leaders across agriculture, conservation, and policy sectors for an unforgettable evening of connection and impact at the U.S. National Arboretum. Set against the backdrop of the Capitol Columns, this open-air event features cocktails, a tented dinner, and opportunities to engage with key figures from industry, Capitol Hill, and the Administration.

This event is co-hosted by: Martha Van Dale, COO of NASDA; Chandler Goule, President of Chandler Goule Consulting LLC; Jennifer Hatcher, Chief Public Policy Officer and Senior Vice President of Government & Member Relations for Food Marketing Institute; and Anne MacMillan, Principal of Invariant GR.

Dinner Under the Stars attendees stand in front of the capitol columns

Dr. Richard T. Olsen, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Martha Van Dale, and Craven Rand at FONA's Dinner Under the Stars

Dinner Under the Stars guests posting during cocktail hour

Photos by Josh Peterson

Download the 2026 Sponsorship Package

TICKETS & SPONSORSHIPS

Host your friends and colleagues or put together a table at the event. A limited number of tables and tickets are available for Dinner Under the Stars. Capitol Hill and Administration VIPs will be invited to this event. We look forward to working with you on seating.

Pledge your table sponsorship by contacting us at dinner@fona.org. Sponsorships and tickets are tax deductible above $150 per person, in accordance with federal tax law. Tax-deductible regrets donations are always appreciated.

EVENT BENEFITS

20 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Capitol Hill & Administration VIPs seated at the table

Logo on event invitation, signage, and website

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Verbal recognition during event program

Recognition in a FONA Field Notes e-newsletter (17,000+ subscribers)

Recognition in a FONA social media post (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Private guided tour of an Arboretum collection for up to 20 people*

Invitations to exclusive FONA events throughout the year

Discounted rate for a corporate event rental at the Arboretum*

Complementary guided tram tour of the Arboretum for up to 35 people*

*Based on a mutually agreed upon date and time. Blackout dates may occur.

Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea): Official tree symbol of the District of Columbia. Beautiful native oak with gorgeous “scarlet” fall color. One of several species native to the National Arboretum and part of the National Oak Collection.

EVENT BENEFITS

20 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Capitol Hill & Administration VIPs seated at the table

Logo on event invitation, signage, and website

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Verbal recognition during event program

Recognition in a FONA Field Notes e-newsletter (17,000+ subscribers)

Recognition in a FONA social media post (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Private guided tour of an Arboretum collection for up to 20 people*

Invitations to exclusive FONA events throughout the year

Discounted rate for a corporate event rental at the Arboretum*

*Based on a mutually agreed upon date and time. Blackout dates may occur.

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides): Iconic example of the value of plant exploration and conservation. Has gone from living fossil to important landscape tree in a geological blink of an eye! Notable collection by the Gotelli Collection at the National Arboretum.

EVENT BENEFITS

10 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Capitol Hill & Administration VIPs seated at the table

Logo on event invitation, signage, and website

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Verbal recognition during event program

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Private guided tour of an Arboretum collection for up to 20 people*

*Based on a mutually agreed upon date and time. Blackout dates may occur.

American elm (Ulmus americana): National Arboretum scientists have been involved in elm breeding, genetics, taxonomy, and conservation for over seven decades, releasing dutch elm disease tolerant selections as well as novel hybrids.

EVENT BENEFITS

10 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Capitol Hill & Administration VIPs seated at the table

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana): A noble pine from northern China, long cultivated, and reintroduced to American horticulture by USDA plant explorer Frank N. Meyer, whose original collections now reside at the National Arboretum. Lacebark pine is featured at the Arboretum in the Introduction Garden and the Gotelli Collection.

EVENT BENEFITS

8 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Capitol Hill & Administration VIPs seated at the table

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Red Maple (Acer Rubrum): National Arboretum scientists have introduced six red maple cultivars into the American nursery industry, which have been bred for brilliant, long-lasting leaf color and pest resistance.

EVENT BENEFITS

8 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Flowering Cherry (Prunus spp.): Collectively, the USDA and USNA have championed the use of flowering cherries for over a century. Although dominated by Japanese selections, species and hybrids also originate from China, Korea, and Japan and, now, breeding programs in the U.S., like our very own.

EVENT BENEFITS

2 tickets to the event

Group seated together at a table

Name on event invitation, signage, and website

Camellia (Camellia sp.): In the 1970s, harsh winters killed more than 950 of the National Arboretum’s camellias. However, one tree thrived in this cold. Arboretum scientists used this tree to successfully breed a series of cold-hardy camellia hybrids, allowing gardeners in northern, colder regions to enjoy the winter blooms.

EVENT BENEFITS

1 ticket to the event

Tax-deductible donations are always appreciated.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaking at Dinner Under the Stars

Bartlett Tree Experts team stand with the Bartlett sponsor sign at the Dinner Under the Stars

Photos by Josh Peterson

Pledge Your Table Sponsorship

2026 Sponsorship Package

MISSION IN ACTION

The U.S. National Arboretum spans 451 acres in Northeast Washington, D.C. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it serves as a horticultural research facility and a public green space. The Arboretum manages living collections of woody plants and research fields for breeding plants. It also has a seed bank and one of the world’s most comprehensive preserved plant specimen libraries.

The National Arboretum benefits each of us, our community, and the nation through horticultural research and plant conservation.

As the Arboretum’s primary nonprofit partner, Friends of the National Arboretum supports and celebrates the science, beauty, and community impact of the U.S. National Arboretum through education, engagement, and access to nature.

By attending Dinner Under the Stars, you are directly supporting FONA’s work at the U.S. National Arboretum. Your partnership makes it all possible.