“A Literary Soiree,” a special event to debut the new Literary Garden at Illinois State University’s Horticulture Center, will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, September 11. Tickets for the event are $35 per person.

The event will feature appetizers, a cash bar, and artisan displays. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the Horticulture Center’s Literary Garden, which connects the words of Midwestern authors with the nature that inspired them. A smartphone scan of QR codes in the garden will give guests access to audio files of selected passages by authors such as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Carl Sandburg, Willa Cather, and Wendell Berry.

Ticket information is available at Alumni.IllinoisState.edu/HorticultureCenter.

The Horticulture Center is located off Raab Road in Normal, across from the Corn Crib baseball stadium. Off-street parking will be available. For more information on the Horticulture Center, phone (309) 438-5654 or visit www.horticulturecenter.ilstu.edu.