Dinner in Cherry Creek
Support your lakes with your feet in the water!
Imagine a warm evening at the end of the summer.
After months of playing on the lake it is time to slow down and celebrate all the joy the lakes provide by giving back at the Creek Dinner fundraiser on August 10th.*
*Please note the date change.
Now in its second year, Dinner in Cherry Creek fundraiser returns to Winona Lake to help make Kosciusko County’s lakes and streams clean, healthy, safe, and beautiful. Together, we can advance strategic research, innovative education, and collaborative efforts by raising $75,000.
Creek Dinner is no ordinary fundraiser! Your partnership with the Lilly Center ensures our lakes’ longevity. Inviting your friends who may not know of the Lilly Center’s work encourages others to advocate for their lake, too. There is no better place to inspire your community to support your lake than while their feet are in the water!
Settle into a magical evening and enjoy dinner, music, and signature drinks as you take in the beauty of Cherry Creek. Wear your wellies, sandals, or go barefoot! Don’t have waterproof boots? We will provide them for you and your guests.
12 tables are available at Creek Dinner, so sponsor your table today before they sell out!
- Early bird attendees window: February 27th – March 12th.
- Priority window: March 13th – April 1st.
- General window: April 2nd – April 30th.
Support your lakes & streams this summer with your feet in the water!
Tentative Agenda
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Check in at the welcome table and receive direction to dinner. Change into your wellies, sandals, or water shoes here.
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Follow the sound of live music and make your way down the path and into the creek for a magical evening. Order a refreshing drink, connect with a friend, and watch the plein air artist at work.
5:35 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Enjoy a bento box-style dinner and dessert in the best venue ever – Cherry Creek!
6:20 p.m. – 6:35 p.m.
Dr. Nate Bosch, director of the Lilly Center, will cast a vision for our lakes and streams.
6:40 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
This is your chance to ask Dr. Bosch your burning questions. Questions like, How healthy are our lakes? What exactly is a blue-green algae? And, what do you have against snakes?
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The sun may begin to depart, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Have your photo taken at the photo booth or bid on the silent auction. Remember to pick up your shoes on your way out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The creek at this time of year is generally no higher than shin height. Some tables will be available on the gravel sandbars.
Boots, water shoes, or sandals work great! You’re welcome to go barefoot too, at your own discretion. We are happy to provide boots if you do not have them. Simply let us know when you register.
Only if you want to! Stairs are available for safe and easy access into the creek from the bank.
We understand that summer plans are still coming together so you can choose to provide guest info at a later date. Simply check the “This registrant will provide information later at the event” box when you register and we will follow up with you to collect their information, any dietary restrictions, and boot sizes if necessary.
We can help with that! Once your table is locked in, send a list of your proposed guests to Judy Fisher at fisherjl@grace.edu. Judy will help you discern whether or not your guests have already connected with the Lilly Center in some capacity.
The rain date for Creek Dinner is August 17th*. We’ll communicate by Friday, August 9th, if the weather threatens to rain on our parade!
*Please note the date change.
Due to the gravel creek bed, low water flow, and absence of rare aquatic species (per the DNR), we expect minimal, if any impact on water quality. Thanks to research conducted by our team last year during this event, the impact on the water quality was imperceptible.
Water samples were collected below, at, and above the Creek Dinner site throughout the day. The results, analyzed by our scientists, indicated that water quality remained unchanged.