Moonlight & Roses
Friday, June 5, 2026
We’re thrilled to share that this year’s Moonlight & Roses is now sold out! Thank you to our donors, sponsors, and early access ticket holders for your generous support and enthusiasm for this event.
For more than four decades, Moonlight & Roses has been a landmark event in the Philadelphia region. Today, it serves as a beautiful forum to celebrate excellence in environmental leadership. Nearly 500 guests attend each year, with proceeds directly supporting the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ vital work in environmental education, outreach, and research.
Our 2026 gala will honor Ellen Nalle Hass and Bartlett Tree Experts — two champions of environmental stewardship.
If you would still like to support the Morris or recognize our honorees, you can make a donation HERE.
Make a Donation
Donate to this year's Moonlight & Roses.
2025 Photos
See photos from last year's Moonlight & Roses.
FAQ
Learn more about what to expect at Moonlight & Roses.
2026 Individual Honoree
Ellen Nalle Hass
This year, we are delighted to honor Ellen Nalle Hass at Moonlight & Roses for her longtime support of Morris Arboretum & Gardens. From her early days roaming the Wissahickon, Ellen's life has been driven by a reverence for nature. She lives by John Muir's mantra: "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." Ellen is a longtime neighbor and member, and served on the Board of Advisors for two decades. For six of those years, Ellen was the Board chair and provided strong and enduring leadership during a time of institutional transition. Professionally, she has worked at Conde Nast, Applause Magazine of WHYY, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH), and is now with Team Whetzel at Kurfiss Sotheby's real estate. She is a board member of Chanticleer Garden of Wayne, PA, the President of the Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial Foundation, and a former board member of the Children's Aid Society and SCH. Ellen and her husband, Jay, enjoy visits from their three grown children, Charlotte, Johnny, and Robert, who grew up enjoying the beauty of, and learning from, the Morris.
2026 Institutional Honoree
Bartlett Tree Experts
With more than 170 offices worldwide, Bartlett Tree Experts is dedicated to helping residential and commercial clients care for and preserve healthy, beautiful trees. For 119 years, the family-owned company has developed environmentally responsible products and championed sustainable tree care practices. Through its Legacy Tree Program, Bartlett Tree Experts provides tree seedlings for reforestation efforts and educates communities on proper tree care. The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, staffed by experts in plant pathology, entomology, and horticulture, support Bartlett Tree Experts’ arborists with the latest scientific insights and innovations in arboriculture.
2026 Gala Chairs & Host Committee
Honorary Chairs
Cameron & John Soroko
Gala Host Committee
Jan Albaum
Christine Bamberger
Amy Banse
Gabrielle Baugh
Ruth Chang
Amanda Cobb
Amy Coleman
Allison DeCaro
Meg Farnoly
Maria Jesus Frank
Melissa Greiner
Natalie Hirshorn
Stacy Kennedy
Charlotte McKines
Katy Palmer
Evan Pruitt
Sarah Salmon
Cinda Waldbuesser
Thomasina White
Anne Wilmerding
Charles Wilmerding
Christine Wilmerding
Jean Wilmerding
Wendy Wurtzburger Bentley
Gold
Reed Smith
Silver
Sarah & Bryan Astheimer
Bank of America
Brandywine Realty Trust
Chanticleer, a pleasure garden
Anne Marie & James Corner
Roy DeCaro Jr., RBC Wealth Management
The Haverford Trust Company
Health Advocate
Penn Division of Finance
Penn Human Resources
Penn Office of the Executive Vice President
Penn Residential & Hospitality Services
Practiced Hands Tree Care
Springer Capital
WTW
Amenity Sponsors
Main Gala Tent
Anonymous
Dancing After Dark
Steve Gendler and Family
Signature Mocktail
Suzy & Michael Schurr Family/Good Morning Merry Sunshine Foundation
Pennock Garden Reception
Susan & Bob Peck
Garden Railway Reception
Sarah & Ted Lodge
Wine
Thomasina White & Anthony Nelson
Beer
TransPerfect
In-Kind Sponsors
Matine's Cafe
Otto Distilling
Palmer Distilling
Moonlight & Roses is the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ annual fundraising gala that raises money for the Morris’s annual operations. Funds raised through this year’s event will support all aspects of Morris Arboretum & Gardens and will ensure continued excellence in direct support of our mission.