Longwood Gardens is turning its Ornamental Kitchen Garden into a dining stage for a one-night-only fundraiser tied to the James Beard Foundation's Friends of James Beard Benefit® series. Scheduled for Saturday, September 19, "An Evening at Longwood, Featuring 1906" pairs a garden reception with a six-course dinner at 1906, the property's flagship restaurant, at $250 per person.
Garden Meets Kitchen
The evening opens in the Ornamental Kitchen Garden, where guests walk the beds of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers that will appear on their plates hours later. That direct line from soil to service is central to the concept: chefs and horticulturists collaborate throughout the growing season to align menu development with what is at peak harvest, with produce pulled just steps from the kitchen.
Executive Chef George Murkowicz, who came to Longwood after stints at farm-to-table operations across the country — including a role with Outstanding in the Field spanning 29 states — is building the evening's menu specifically around the September harvest and regionally sourced ingredients from the Brandywine Valley. Optional wine pairings are available at additional cost. "Our culinary philosophy begins in the Gardens," Murkowicz said. "Working closely with our team of dedicated horticulturists allows us to build a one-of-a-kind menu, using only the best ingredients."
Foundation Funding at Stake
Heather Considine Varian, Vice President of Philanthropy for the James Beard Foundation, will address guests during the evening, contextualizing the Foundation's broader mission to advance a sustainable, equitable independent restaurant industry. The Friends of James Beard Benefit® series relies on chefs, restaurants, and cultural institutions hosting ticketed events nationally to generate operating support for that work — putting venue-driven hospitality experiences like this one squarely in the foundation's fundraising infrastructure.
For operators watching the intersection of farm-to-table dining and experiential hospitality, Longwood's model offers a replicable template: leverage an existing culinary garden or local farm partnership to anchor a high-touch ticketed event that simultaneously elevates the restaurant's profile and directs proceeds to a recognized nonprofit. The $250 price point positions the evening firmly in the premium experiential dining tier that has shown strong consumer demand post-pandemic.
1906 — named for the year Pierre S. du Pont purchased the Longwood property — has built a regional reputation on seasonal cuisine and proximity to the Gardens' Main Fountain Garden. The restaurant's pairing of polished hospitality with a living agricultural program reflects a farm-to-table beverage and food philosophy that continues to resonate with guests seeking connection to provenance and place.
Tickets are on sale now at longwoodgardens.org.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
