Champagne & Chocolate
A Botanical Garden Gala to help us Grow
Champagne & Chocolate is the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s premier annual fundraising gala and a sparkling start to the holiday season.
Enjoy an evening of champagne, chocolate, live entertainment, and festive experiences surrounded by the Garden’s lush tropical collections. Be among the first to experience the season’s Dome for the Holidays light display while gathering with friends and celebrating the impact of the Botanical Garden.
Proceeds from Champagne & Chocolate support the Garden’s mission through the care and growth of its plant collections, education programs and experiences for all ages, and initiatives that make the Garden more accessible to the community.
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Thank you to TPI for the printing of the invitation and program.
Event Details
Join us for a bright and lively celebration offering the perfect experience to usher in the holidays. Grab a drink and chocolate as you spread cheer strolling through the Dome for the Holidays light display in our lush tropical setting. Proceeds provide for the growth and care of our diverse plant collections, development of programs and experiences for all ages, and the provision of free admission for many.
Make your evening even more meaningful with special opportunities to support the Garden’s mission.
Tickets & Time
Guest Ticket $200
Group of 8 Adults $1400
Young Professional $150
40 and younger
6-9 pm Friday Nov 13 2026
In-Kind Partners
Thank you!
American Graphics & Installations
Beisser Lumber
Beaverdale Confections
Chocolaterie Stam
Chocolate Storybook
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Dwight Dubois
Aubrey Roth
The Giving Tree
Presented by Josephs Jewelers
Add a little sparkle to the evening while giving back to the Botanical Garden!
Choose a gold box from The Giving Tree and discover the surprise inside. Every box is a winner, and four lucky boxes will feature special prizes from Josephs Jewelers. Your purchase helps support the Garden’s mission and programs throughout the year.
$50 per box
Visit The Giving Tree in the Evergreen Gallery during Champagne & Chocolate to select your box, or pre-purchase yours now and hand-pick your box when you arrive.
Quantities are limited.
New Plant Collection
Help Grow Something Extraordinary
Help expand the Botanical Garden’s curated collection of edible tropical plants and create new opportunities for discovery.
Displayed in locally crafted Versailles-style cedar planters, this beautiful and intriguing collection will enrich horticultural displays, inspire educational programs, and offer new opportunities to explore the remarkable plants that produce some of the foods we know and love.Â
At Champagne & Chocolate, learn more about the collection and help bring it to life by selecting a plant to support or making a gift toward a planter.
Thank you to Beisser Lumber Company for generously providing materials for three planters and additional materials at cost.
Tis the season to give. Contact Steve Biever at 515.402.4280 for more information.
We are so grateful for our generous supporters! Thank you.
Honorary Host  $10,000
-MIKE SIMONSON
-SHANNON & JEREMY BIELSKI
Sparkling Sponsor $5,000
-THE ABE & IDA COOPER FOUNDATION
-MARGO & DON BLUMENTHAL
-SHARON & GREG CHLEBICKI
-CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE
-FAEGRE DRINKER
-FRED & CHARLOTTE HUBBELL
-RUSTY HUBBELL
-POLLY MOORE
-JILL & MARK OMAN
-CYNDE & RICHARD SCHREIBER
Velvet Sponsor $2,500
-BANKERS TRUST
-BAKER GROUP
-TJ & JENNIFER BRYANT
-MEL MEREDITH FRAZIER
-JUDY & DOUG GULLING
-THE GRAHAM GROUP, INC.
-JOSEPHS JEWELERS
-KEMIN INDUSTRIES
-CATHY GOLDMAN
-DOUG & JUDY GULLING
-CATHY & STEVE LACY
-DR. ROBERT & LIZ LEE
-GARY & TAM LINES
-PROCTOR LUREMAN & CHAD RUSSELL
-MARK & HOLLY LYONS
-MELISSA MADSEN & BRAD VAN DE WOESTYNE
-NEUMANN
-POWER POLLEN
-SECURITY NATIONAL BANK
-TRAVIS & JEN SHEETS
-DAN & JILL STEVENSON
-CARL VARLEY, in memory of EVELYN VARLEY
-VICKI & BILL WALLACE
-JESSICA & ANDY ZAUGG
Garden Gala Friend $1,000
-DR. SALLY & KIM BEISSER
-NANCY BONE
-JOYCE & RICK CHAPMAN
-KEVIN CHORNIAK & DANNY BOUNSAVATH
-CONNECTIFY HR
-JIM & PATTY COWNIE
-NANCY DUNBAR
-ALLISON & JIM FLEMING
-FREDRIKSON
-FOSTER GROUP
-JOSH & JEN HANKS
-WES HUNSBERGER & MARK HOLUB
-GOOD LIFE THERAPY, LLC
-KENT & SHEILA MAUCK
-BRENDA & BERNIE MOUW FOUNDATION
-MARY B. OOTHOUT
-RANDY & JENNIFER SPEER RAMUNDT
-DAWN & BRANDON ROBERTS
-JANIS RUAN
-TAILORED PROJECT CONSULTING
-TWIN CEDARS BANK
-DOUG & CARRIE VAN ZANTEN
-CHRISTIE & TOM VILSACK
-SUSAN & CARL VOSS
-KATIE WALSH
-WELLER BROTHERS LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS
-DEB WILEY & JOHN SCHMIDT
-CHEYENNE ZYCHOWSKI
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