PHOTOS: Inside the New York Botanical Garden’s 2026 Orchid Dinner

The subway signs and skyline silhouettes translated the grit and grandeur of New York into a beautiful nod to nature. Getty Images for the New York Botanical Garden

On Thursday evening, the New York Botanical Garden took over the Plaza Hotel for its beloved Orchid Dinner, transforming the gilded downtown landmark and its historic ballroom into an immersive world of flowers celebrating New York City. This issue, as always, honored this year’s annual exhibition of orchids at the Enid A. Haupt the Musical – In the year 2026, “Concrete Jungle” by Mr. Flower Fantastic. The anonymous artist behind the orchid display combines high-end florals, pop art, and street culture iconography. Mister Flower Fantastic often wears a mask to hide his identityNarrated by the New York Times That anonymity is “honestly the most authentic way to share my work.”

The overall atmosphere was unmistakably New York, with subway signs and sly references to the city woven into the tablecloths, each arrangement extending and stacking high like a skyscraper. Guests arrived in floral gowns and suits, a nod to the botanical decadence that prevailed that night, with some going so far as to wear huge leafy halos and intricate flower crowns. However, the real stars of the evening were the rows of rare orchids up for auction, which, as is customary, were selected by the curators of the New York Botanical Garden and beautifully illuminated in delicate brown pots. Grand Lady of Entertainment Martha Stewart One was rumored to be purchased for $300, although some have fetched as much as $550, with proceeds supporting NYBG’s research, education and outreach missions.

Martha Stewart visits an orchid sale. Getty Images for the New York Botanical Garden

After cocktail hour, the observer spotted a philanthropist Sharon Jacobcultural patrons Stephen R. Swartz and Tina Swartzexit Kevin CornishFashion model noseactor and singer Alex NewellAl-Jawahiri Emily B. Wheeler And the artist Sarah Arno Among the revelers are flower lovers. The evening was chaired by philanthropists Maureen K. Shelton and Richard L. Shelton, Susan Matelich and George Matelich, Alison Carmichael and Trent Carmichael. Christopher Griffinalso known as Plant Queen, looked particularly resplendent in head-to-toe jewel-toned florals that competed for attention with towering floral arrangements that paid tribute to New York City icons.

A cheerful dinner leans into a floral theme: napkins decorated with green and yellow vines and a three-course menu – salad, light cod and chocolate dessert – designed to resemble delicate flowers. At around 9 p.m., as DJ Runna started his set, guests began drifting from their tables toward the dance floor. “They move the party along very quickly, which is good,” Nasher Joanne Gedel Notice. Within minutes, most of the revelers had disappeared behind the pink skyscrapers, leaving behind an empty magical garden.