COCKTAILS IN THE GARDEN to Return Next Month in Atlanta

Explore the city's lush urban oasis in the cool of the evening on Thursdays, May 11 - September 28 as Cocktails in the Garden returnsto the Atlanta Botanical Garden after a two-year hiatus.

As an after-hours social for young professionals, a romantic date night for couples, or simply a fun friends' outing for still others, the event - originally dubbed "social irrigation" - offers specialty drinks from full cash bars, deejays and live entertainment, and games and other activities. Set for 6 - 10 p.m., Cocktails in the Garden also is the only opportunity for experiencing the Garden in the evening, when the cooler temperatures of twilight cast the Garden's thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in a whole different light and draw out their fragrances.

In addition, guests may explore the Garden's 2017 outdoor art exhibition, The Curious Garden, featuring a dozen installations designed to focus attention on the wonders of nature, including trees, plants and entire gardens.

"We are thrilled to bring Cocktails back after two years while we were presenting two of our summer exhibitions at night," said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden's President & CEO. "This is the perfect year to do it because after years of expansion and renovations we are proud to show off all of those new enhancements, so it's like we're declaring 2017 as our 'year of the garden'."

To emphasize those gardens, Cocktails will move to different areas of the botanicalgarden each month - from May through September - each with its own theme, featured alcohol and specialty cocktail. In May, for example, the event will take place in the new Skyline Garden with the theme "Spiked" highlighting the many thorned cacti, yuccas and agaves planted there. Complementing that theme will be tequila and margaritas.

Finally, guests may round out the evening with a scrumptious dinner at the Garden's new Longleaf restaurant. Reservations are recommended.

Admission for Cocktails in the Garden is $21.95 per person; Garden members are admitted for free. For information, visit atlantabg.org.