Bouquets

Parking: Plan to park in the Palm Lot or street parking on Estabrook Drive. Walk to the front doors of the Visitor Center for the event entrance and registration area.

Attire: Think semi-fancy date night when dressing for Bouquets. You’ll see a lot of sweaters and slacks, cute dresses, button-ups, jumpsuits, and dark denim at the event. There is a coat check to leave your jacket. Como Friends pro-tip is to wear boots to the event and change your shoes when you arrive! You can leave boots at coat check with your jacket if you so choose.

Plus Experience Tickets: If you purchased tickets to the Plus Experience, plan to arrive at 6:00 p.m. There are not physical or electronic tickets to the event, rather your name will be on a list with a name tag at registration. Please have your ID ready.

General Admission Tickets: You should have electronic tickets on your phone from Eventbrite. Please have them up and ready, along with your ID when you arrive at the event at 7:00 p.m. Pro-tip – arrive at 7:15 p.m. and miss the line!

Add-on Experience: If you purchased tickets for the Growing Range tour, they were sent to you electronically through Eventbrite. Please mention at registration (either General Admission or Plus) that you purchased an add-on ticket, and you will receive instructions for where to meet your tour group.

What to bring: Bring a fully charged phone for bidding on the auction, cash or check for the cork pull, and practical shoes for walking through the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and Visitor Center all evening.

Make sure to experience all the activities at Bouquets!

Como’s Animal and Plant Ambassadors, and Conservation Education Stations | 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

· Baby Red-footed Tortoise: 2nd floor, Visitor Center

· Blue-tongued Skink: Fern Room Lobby

· Bonsai: Hallway between Visitor Center and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

· Giraffe Biofacts: Exhibit Gallery Lobby

· Hedgehog: Hallway between Visitor Center and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

· Poison Dart Frog and Bromeliad: 1st Floor, Visitor Center

· Sunken Garden Highlights: Sunken Garden

The Orchid House, adjacent to the Fern Room, will be open from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Wine, Beer, and Food Stations

11 Wine Sampling Stations; 9 Beer Sampling Stations; 10 Food Stations; Coffee Station (Located on the 1st and 2nd Floors of the Visitor Center and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory)

Cash Bar is located on the 1st Floor of the Visitor Center outside Garden Safari Gifts

Silent Auction of Only-Como Selections and Items to Wine, Dine and Do! (View the items online (head to the ‘browse items’ tab) or in the hallway between the Visitor Center and the Conservatory)

Cork Pull (located in the hallway between the Visitor Center and the Conservatory)

Don’t forget to stop by Garden Safari Gifts (open all night, 1st Floor of the Visitor Center)

View the Virtual Program on our web page.

Back by Popular Demand!

Cork Pull

Located in the Hallway between the Visitor Center and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Try your chance at winning a fabulous bottle of wine valued at $100 or a Como custom bottle featuring one of our extraordinary plants and animals, including a sloth, poison dart frog, orchid or bromeliad.

Pull a cork and receive whatever is in the corresponding gift bag. Everyone is a winner in this game! Each pull is $25 and there are only 100 corks available. Due to Minnesota gaming rules, only cash or a check are accepted forms of payment.

Covid-19: Como Friends and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory continue to follow state, local and venue guidance pertaining to Covid-19. Masks are welcome at Bouquets, but not required. Please stay home if you don’t feel well, if you have symptoms of Covid-19, or if you have been in recent contact with someone diagnosed with Covid-19. Thank you.

You must be 21 years of age or older to attend Bouquets.

TWO METHODS TO BID
You can bid on all our cool auction items using your own smartphone—or if you
prefer, you can use the kiosks staffed by volunteers located at the silent auction.
You don’t need to download an app. Just connect to the internet and type this
friendly URL into your smartphone browser: bidpal.net/bouquets2022
Mobile bidding works well on most smartphones. In order to place a bid you
will need to have a valid credit card on file. Please be sure the credit card you
enter is the credit card you would like to use to pay for your winnings. Credit
cards will be run automatically when the auction closes. Please be sure that your
battery is fully charged so you don’t miss out. If you don’t have a smartphone, we
will have kiosks staffed by volunteers to assist you.
Auction closes at 9:00 p.m. If you are the winning bidder of an item you will be
notified on your phone or results will be available at the auction. Auction check-out
will begin at 9:15 p.m. at the silent auction. If you are a winner, your credit card
will be run automatically when the auction closes.

AUCTION RULES
• All bids must be placed through your smartphone or the kiosk.
• Opening minimum bids are listed online for each item and bids must be raised
in the dollar increments listed for each item.
• Remember, a bid is a legal contract to buy.
• No items are to be removed prior to full settlement.
• Inspect all items and read all descriptions and limitations before purchasing.
• All items are sold as is.
• Every effort has been made to provide accurate information for each item.
• Como Friends and its volunteers are not responsible for descriptions, values,
or authenticity of information supplied by donors.
• There are no refunds or exchanges unless noted.
• Auction items may be substituted, withdrawn or added prior to the event.
Restrictions may apply.
• A portion of your purchase may be tax-deductible, but please consult your tax
advisor before automatically deducting your purchase.
• You must be 21 years of age or older to bid on packages containing alcoholic
beverages.

Garden Safari Gifts will be open for the duration of the event.