Garden Party In Nutley Will Feature Music, Food, Drinks

NUTLEY, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Nutley Family Service Bureau. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) will host its largest fundraiser of the year, "The Garden Party," on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Mountsier-Hardie Garden, 205 Rutgers Place in Nutley.

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For one afternoon, guests will stroll a private two-acre garden rarely open to the public while enjoying live music from local artists, food catered by Spuntino and The Shannon Rose, wine and beer, and a live "en plein air" painting created and auctioned during the event. Every dollar raised supports NFSB's mental health counseling, case management, Food Pantry, and senior meal delivery — services that reached more than 1,900 neighbors in 2025 alone.

"The Garden Party is so much more than a beautiful afternoon — it's how our community comes together to make sure a neighbor in a hard moment has somewhere to turn," said Katherine Carmichael, executive director of the Nutley Family Service Bureau. "Every ticket and every sponsorship keeps our counselors, our Food Pantry, and our programs there for the families who need them, all year long."

Designed by renowned landscape architect Richard Hartlage and owned by Silas Mountsier and Graeme Hardie, the Mountsier-Hardie Garden features grand vistas, quiet places for reflection, striking sculpture, and hundreds of exceptional flower and foliage varieties. Longtime supporters of NFSB, Mr. Mountsier and Mr. Hardie once again open their extraordinary garden in service of NFSB's mental health and social services programs.

This year's afternoon features a lineup of local performers donating their talents, including:

• Jazz artist Vince Villanueva

• Harpist Karen Trindle

• Opera and classical vocalist Sheldrake Lukas

• Pop artist Mina Greiss and his band

• Spoken-word poet Zandt Wyntreez

• The Sebek Tenors

• Lincoln Boyes

• Philosopher's Stone

• Melanie Fernandez

Tickets are $100. To purchase tickets or become a sponsor, visit nutleyfamily.org/garden-party.

About the Nutley Family Service Bureau

Founded in 1913, the Nutley Family Service Bureau is a COA-accredited nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen the emotional and social well-being of individuals and families. NFSB provides affordable outpatient mental health and psychiatric care, a school-based mental health program in partnership with Nutley Public Schools, case management, a Food Pantry, Harvest & Heart senior meal delivery, and community Thrift Shops — serving neighbors across more than 76 municipalities in Essex County and beyond. For more information, visit nutleyfamily.org.

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