The fifth annual "Twilight Garden Party" will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the garden near the center of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

The event is a fundraiser to support the garden, which is operated by CSUN's Department of Biology and serves as a field site for botany, entomology, photography, painting and other classes. The garden also is open to the members of the public who are interested in learning more about plants or just want to enjoy a stroll through its meandering paths.

"Each year, the number of people attending the garden party increases, which adds to our ability to maintain the garden's beauty and availability to the community throughout the year," said Brian Houck, the Botanic Garden and Greenhouse manager. "It's exciting to see the enthusiasm for the garden. We are anticipating another banner year as the word gets out to folks who want to enjoy this evening together in our garden."

The event will feature wine tasting, a steel drum band, a showing by scientific and natural history illustrators, ceramics and glass artists and garden tours. Eight local wineries as well as wineries from the Santa Inez region are expected to be there.

In addition to outdoor landscaped and natural botanic environments, the garden also features greenhouses where rare and unusual plants are grown.

Advance tickets for the Twilight Garden Party are $30 per person, or $55 per couple. After Aug. 10, tickets will be $35 per person and $65 per couple. All guests will receive a wine glass etched with a leaf design.