Farm-to-table at the Youth Garden
Scroll down to see our 2025 Garden Dinner lineup and purchase tickets!
Garden Dinner events are delicious and unique experiences for locals and visitors alike, celebrating the seasonal abundance of food sourced on site, from the Moab Valley, and the wider Colorado Plateau region!
YGP Garden Dinners have been around for many years now, but each one is a little different! For a Garden Dinner event, we invite guest chefs to the garden to prepare a four-course meal using fresh garden produce. Guests are seated throughout the garden or at a long communal table and enjoy their locally grown meal in the midst of the garden’s beauty. Ample time is allowed between courses for guests to savor the flavors and enjoy time spent among family, friends, and fellow food enthusiasts. Garden Dinners are scheduled throughout the growing season.
All proceeds from our farm-to-table events support hands-on, garden-based learning and engagement experiences for youth and community members in Moab. Come enjoy the bounty of the garden with us!
We are always interested in working with new chefs! If you are excited to put together a seasonally-inspired menu celebrating local food, give us a call at 435.259.2326 or email jessie@youthgardenproject.org.
2025 Garden Dinners & Registration
Enjoy a multi-course meal prepared with summer ingredients harvested straight from the garden! Dine outside with friends and family under twinkling lights, at tables beautifully set throughout the heart of the garden. Each event will be complete with a starting reception and mocktails, a farm tour, and a seed-to-table dining experience like no other with stunning views of the red rocks in the distance.
Our 2025 Garden Dinners will be held:
August 23rd with Chef Yanni Kovatch
Chef Yanni brings over two decades of culinary expertise to the table, shaped by classical French training and a passion for mountain-inspired cuisine. He began his culinary journey under the mentorship of Master French Chef Alaine Lecomte in Richmond, Virginia, where he honed his technique and developed a deep respect for refined flavors and precise execution.
After completing his training, Yanni took on the role of sous chef at the renowned Convict Lake Resort in Mammoth Lakes, California. There, he embraced the unique challenges of high-altitude cooking and contributed to the resort’s reputation for exceptional dining.
Driven by a desire to create memorable culinary experiences, Yanni founded Mammoth Catering, followed by Mountain Cakery, two ventures known for their high-end wedding and event catering, private chef services, and boutique baked goods. His commitment to quality ingredients and personalized service has made him a sought-after chef throughout the Eastern Sierra and beyond.
At this evening’s fundraiser, Chef Yanni brings his signature blend of elegance, creativity, and heartfelt hospitality to every plate.
October 11th with Chefs Sylvia Bentley and Abigail Lawrence
Sylvia and Abigail are a couple who love all the Moab landscape and community have to offer. They bond over cooking together, and merging their individual skillsets and diverse cuisine experiences is a fun challenge with rewarding and delightful results! Sylvia was born and raised in Moab, but she didn’t discover her love for cooking until living in Spain in her early 20s. The vibrant markets with fresh ingredients inspired her food journey, and she carries these Mediterranean food influences into her cooking today. The Moab sun is a lot like the Mediterranean sun—it produces bountiful, lush vegetables that are a joy to cook. Abigail is a Moab transplant from the south and started learning to cook in a college culinary program. Feeding people delicious, comforting food is her passion. She owned and operated a plant-based food truck in Moab for four years, and she prides herself on prioritizing people’s dietary restrictions without sacrificing flavor. Her newest passion is gluten free baking so Sylvia can enjoy fresh bread and desserts. Sylvia and Abigail look forward to using locally grown produce to create a beautiful evening for their friends and community.
Here are the need-to-know details:
Tickets are $75 for adults and $25 for youth under 12.
The event begins at 6pm with an optional farm tour, activity, and mocktails. Dining service begins at 7:15pm.
Reservations are required and seating is limited so reserve your spot ASAP!
All guests will be seated at the communal table unless otherwise requested.
Tickets may be refunded up to 48 hours before the event; after that we will not be able to offer a refund for canceled tickets.
Proceeds will benefit YGP’s youth and community programs, such as Garden Classroom Field Trips, YGP Summer Camp, food access initiatives, and more!