DINNER UNDER THE STARS

29TH ANNUAL DINNER UNDER THE STARS

Save the date for Tuesday, September 9, 2025 for FONA’s 29th annual Dinner Under the Stars! Enjoy a wonderful fall evening at the U.S. National Arboretum with colleagues, business leaders, and senior staff and officials from Capitol Hill. Enjoy cocktails and a tented dinner in view of the historic Capitol Columns, which were originally sited in the East Portico of the Capitol Building from 1828 to 1958.

Dinner Under the Stars is FONA’s most important event each year and is held on behalf of the U.S. National Arboretum. It is our primary fundraising event to support the National Arboretum’s plant research and public education mission. As its primary 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner, FONA complements the National Arboretum’s important work by funding programs and events that connect visitors with nature, inspire discovery, and appreciate the practical application of plant science and our dependence on plants.

Stay tuned — more event information is coming soon!

Members of DC's city council at the Dinner Under the Stars

Craven Rand, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Dr. Richard T. Olsen at Dinner Under the Stars

Attendees at the 2024 Dinner Under the Stars

TABLE SPONSORSHIPS

Sponsor a table for friends and colleagues or purchase a single ticket. Tables seat 8-12 people. For table sponsors at the $5,500 level and above, we will happily work with you to seat VIPs. Tickets/sponsorships are tax deductible, less $150 per person.

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.

Premium table(s) for 20 guests including VIPs
Premium visibility: Logo on invitation/signage; name on donor wall, remarks, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year
Opportunity to partner with FONA on a tailored event, custom tour, or activity
Opportunity to host a corporate dinner/event at Arboretum (discount on space rental)

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.

Premium table(s) for 20 guests including VIPs
Premium visibility: Logo on invitation/signage; name on donor wall, remarks, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year
Opportunity to partner with FONA on a tailored event, custom tour, or activity
Opportunity to host a corporate dinner/event at Arboretum (discount on space rental)

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.

Premium table for total of 10 guests including VIPs
Premium visibility: Logo on invitation/signage; name on donor wall, remarks, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year
Opportunity to partner with FONA on a tailored event, custom tour, or activity

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.

Premium table for total of 10 guests including VIPs
Premium visibility: Name on invitation, signage, donor wall, remarks, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year

Red maple (Acer rubrum): One of our nation’s most popular native trees, Red maples are found from forests to landscapes, with notable fall color and urban toughness. The USNA released a number of selections from its tree breeding program that are now standard in the nursery trade.

Table for total of 8 guests including 1 VIP
Recognition: Name on signage, donor wall, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year

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.

Table for 8 guests
Recognition: Name on signage, donor wall, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus sp.): Flowering dogwoods comprise one of the earliest collections at the USNA dedicated to displaying the breadth and diversity of our native flowering dogwood (C. florida), its close relatives, and the shrubbier members of a highly ornamental genus.

Two premium tickets
Recognition: Name on signage, donor wall, other materials
Invitations to exclusive events throughout the year

Seat for 1 guest at a table.

Tax-deductible donations are always appreciated!

For more information or to purchase a ticket, please contact Cathy (Cathy@fona.org) or Claire Alrich (202-918-1868, calrich@fona.org).

Dinner Under the Stars attendees under the tent getting ready for dinner

2024 Sponsorship Package

SPONSOR BENEFITS

FONA’s community is comprised of a strong network of political, business, and social leaders who share a passion for the Arboretum and its mission. Join us for the Dinner and enjoy many benefits, including:

People

Enjoy mixing and mingling with friends, colleagues, and influential VIPs at the Dinner in a unique setting just two miles north of the Capitol.

Visibility

Promote your brand and engage your colleagues, clients, and friends at Dinner Under the Stars and other FONA events and activities throughout the year.

Community Support

Your support enhances FONA’s youth education programs, funds horticultural interns, expands public outreach and education, and so much more.

Great Outdoors

Nestled along the Anacostia River, the Arboretum’s 451 acres and its horticultural collections are available for you to enjoy and explore. Take advantage of all it has to offer, including joining FONA for forest bathing walks, garden tours, receptions, and more.