Dinner and Stargazing in the Orchard
Luminous. Nourishing. Intimate. Inspiring.
Honor summer's end with an unforgettable farm dinner with artists, astronomers and musicians under the stars.
Land+Sky Farm Dinners are evenings of live music, garden tours, art and science conversations complimented by an exquisite outdoor dinner crafted by Chef Mason Hernandez of Farm Dinner LA.
The series, part of the Land+Sky artist residency, connects experts and creative people with our community to further our understanding of ecology, agriculture and social-cultural history through art in the spectacular Rancho Santa Clara Del Norte and Lloyd-Butler Botanical Gardens.
Your evening begins with a walk through the orchard with our host and Horticulturist Tom Lloyd-Butler and Curator Robin Wallace.
As the sun sets, you'll be seated at a long ranch table in the orchard for appetizers and an orientation to the night sky by astronomers Russell Crotty, Laura Gruenther and Micah Sittig.
Enjoy Chef Mason's hearty country paella and savor the bounty of summer while taking in the sounds of Composer Jose Hales Garcia’s expansive, haunting compositions, adding depth and ambiance to our conversations.
Please BYO binoculars, blankets, pillows or chairs to recline in comfort between telescope viewings.
YOU HAVE A CHOICE! Dinner + Stargazing, or Dinner Only, or Stargazing Only. See Tickets for Details.
Our Contributors:
The Curator of Cuisine and Chef: Mason Hernandez / Farm Dinner LA
There's something about gathering outdoors, under open sky, over food grown by hands we know. It turns dinner into community. That's the heart of every Farm Dinner LA. Chef Mason's passion for exceptional food, the outdoors and independent growers naturally led him to the helm of our Land+Sky creative hospitality experience.
The Astronomers: Russell Crotty, Laura Gruenther and Micah Sittig
Assisted Telescope Viewing with 4 large scopes, including: 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, Computerized "go-to" scope 8-inch diameter Newtonian, German Equatorial mount
The Composer-Musician: Jose Hales-Garcia
Jose is a founding member of the post-punk microtonal rock band Cipher. He is a composer of rhythmic, world, improvisational and generative music, a member of the Channel Islands Choral Association and a Taiko drummer.
The Sound Designer: Brian Wallace, aka DubRobot
Throughout my career, spanning over a thousand recordings as a multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and producer, I’ve learned that the essence of this effort lies in collaboration. Every record is a testament to the collective efforts of countless individuals, from the musicians to the audiences who embrace our creations. It is about seeking harmony not only within ourselves but also with the diverse network of people we create and share our music with.
The Art: Land+Sky
Land + Sky is about creating dialogues; between art and science, commerce and ecology, ranchers and our community, cultures and eras. As we move through this period of ecological and economic change, a key to resilience is experiential learning that community-based arts organizations such as Studio Channel Islands Art Center is uniquely positioned to provide. It is an immersive pop-up exhibition and concert by artists and musicians who are invited to create site-specific installations during an annual invitational artist residency, previewing October 3rd and open to the public on October 10th 2026.
The Ranch: Rancho Santa Clara Del Norte
Rancho Santa Clara del Norte is a historic ranch and Botanical Garden at the intersection of Oxnard, Somis and Saticoy. It was originally 13,989-acres, granted to Juan María Sánchez by the Mexican government to farm cattle in 1837, It is one of the oldest continuously farmed properties in Ventura County, and has been owned and managed by the Lloyd-Butler family since 1864. Bordering the property is the Santa Clara River, and west of that, one of the largest ancient Chumash settlements in the area, Sa’aqtik’oy, which means "sheltered from the wind” in the Chumash Ventureño language. The Santa Clara River is 83 miles long, and the only wild river in Southern California. The watershed is habitat for a wide array of native plants and animals and has historically supplied humans with water, fish, and fertile farmland.
The Schedule
- 6:00 pm
Doors Open
You will be greeted with a welcome drink
- 6:15 pm - 6:45 pm
Ranch Walk
Your evening begins with a walk through the orchard with our Host and Horticulturist Tom Lloyd-Butler and Land+Sky Curator Robin Wallace.
- 6:45 pm - 8:00 pm
Dinner, Astronomy Talk and Live Music
- 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Guided Stargazing and Dessert
With 4 telescopes and plenty of room to spread out, Russell, Laura and Micah will tell us where, how and what to look for in the night sky.
The Experience
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
