Celebrate Under a Cider Moon with Our Fall Fundraiser!

by Susan Spears

What is it about autumn that brings such feelings of excitement? Could it be that finally we are experiencing those crisp cold days that we yearn for in the heat of a summer afternoon? Or is it the nostalgia of remembering high school football games and other festive events that bring the community together?

It could be all of those and more! And in our community, we also have Bur Oak Land Trust’s annual fundraiser, “Under a Cider Moon…a Celebration of Autumn.” For anyone who has attended, Cider Moon is a place to show support for the mission to protect and conserve the natural areas of Johnson and surrounding counties for future generations. Months in advance, people start donating items that they have spent countless hours lovingly handcrafting – from sculptures to one-of-a-kind furniture to quilts to jewelry – you name it! Each year there is an amazing assortment of unique items, as well as many community business items and gift certificates to then auction off in live and silent auction or in mystery gift bags.

This year is our TENTH year raising money in support of conservation, and this year we are extremely grateful and excited to have not one, but two Neal Deaton sculptures for some lucky person to win. You may not know, but Neal and team have a set of botanical sculptures and a mural that are permanently displayed at the Des Moines Botanical Gardens. He has also done animal sculptures that have been on display at the Smithsonian. When I first saw the large rose sculpture, I wondered how we were going to keep it alive and watered until Cider Moon. It looked that real. Even nature can be fooled by these detailed sculptures – we had a bit of a cricket problem just after we received the sculptures, and one day I found one of the crickets hiding in the small violet sculpture!

Not only do we have Neal Deaton represented at Cider Moon, but we are also excited to have an extremely hard to get signed by the team Green Bay Packers football! Last year was the first year we had one of these and the bidding was exciting as everyone wondered who would be the winner. We hope to generate the same fun and excitement this year with this signed football. And if you are looking to have your own personalized autograph sports memorabilia, we also have a University of Iowa basketball up for auction. To look at many of our auction items, click here: Cider Moon items

We would love to hear what everyone thinks about this very special event – so don’t forget to post a comment and thank you for promoting a healthy community through conservation! See you Under a Cider Moon!

*Cider Moon is October 21^st at The Celebration Barn at 4045 245^th St. NE (not to be confused with the Celebration Farm on Hwy 1).