THE 27th ANNUAL MORONGO BASIN ORCHID FESTIVAL!

Mark your calendar to experience displays of beautifull live orchids and much, much more at the 27th Annual Morongo Basin Orchid Festival at Gubler Orchids, 2200 Belfi eld Blvd. in Landers. Dates are Saturday October 7th from 10 AM – 5 PM and Sunday October 8th from 10 AM – 3 PM. Admission and parking are FREE.

The festival showcases select community non-profits who will provide information about their organizations and volunteer opportunities. ALL the proceeds from orchid sales as well as the orchid themed beer sales will be disbursed among these non-profit groups and to Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary for community projects. Visitors will be given a “Rotary Buck” with orchid purchases and can choose which of their favorite charities will benefit from their donation.

Bring a camera! Self-guided tours of the orchid-filled greenhouses are informative and fun. Enjoy the thousands of orchids blooming in the desert! Learn how these flowers are produced, grown, and shipped throughout the world. See over 30,000 Venus Fly Traps and other carnivorous plants waiting for their next meal.

Is the orchid you have at home a champion? You can bring it to be judged by the Riverside/San Bernardino Orchid Society. They will be sponsoring an American Orchid Society Judged Show with the registration of orchid entries held on Friday October 6th from 2 – 4 PM, and again on Saturday morning from 9 – 10 AM. Judging will begin at 10:05 AM Saturday with ribbons awarded at noon. For more information about the judging rules go to www.sunsetrotary.org.

Relax by taking a fun class and return home with your own orchid or an arrangement to enjoy. Classes are taught by the Orchid Society of Arizona and Riverside/ San Bernardino Orchid Society at the Festival’s Pacific Western Bank Learning Center. Classes are offered for a fee, and you can choose from three different classes: Cultivation and Care of Phalaenopsis Orchids, How to Care for Oncidium Intergeneric Orchids, and How To Make An Orchid Arrangement. ALL the proceeds from the orchid classes go to the Orchid Society of Arizona and the Riverside/San Bernardino Orchid Society to support orchid education and the preservation of native orchid species. Sign-ups can be made at www.SunsetRotary.org or email Festival@Gublers.com for more information. CLASSES FILL UP QUICKLY! RESERVE YOUR CLASS TODAY!

Indulge your taste buds with Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary’s line up of delicious wine tastings plus their signature margaritas will be offered. Tastings, glasses of wine and margaritas are offered for a fee.

Returning to the festival are the two Orchid beers: Phalee Golden Pixie IPA brewed with fragrant phalaenopsis flowers and the ever-popular Shari Baby Orchid Beer. Joshua Tree Brewery will debut their newest orchid beer this year Maxallaria Cocos dream. This new beer will have unbelievable flavor. Orchid beers are only available at the Orchid Festival and all proceeds are donated to the festival participants. Naturally there will be a selection of additional craft beers.

Food and beverage vendors will be plentiful at this year’s festival. Live musical entertainment will appear on the Festival Stage throughout both days: Saturday will feature Bob Garcia and the Glyphs. Sunday’s music will be provided by the Jann Browne Band.

Don’t miss a minute of the 27th Annual Morongo Basin Orchid Festival October 7th and 8th at Gubler Orchids in Landers. And don’t miss out on taking one or more Orchid Classes!

Come out, have fun, and support the many non-profit organizations represented. You can have a good time while helping the community raise funds for these charities in the Morongo Basin.

The Orchid festival is supported by these generous sponsors: Pacific Western Bank, Gubler Orchids Inc., Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary, Joshua Tree Brewing, Joshua Tree Voice Magazine, Z107.7 FM, the Hi-Desert Star, and Eye on the Desert CBS Local 2. For more information email Festival@Gublers.com or visit www.sunsetrotary.org.