(SHORT HILLS, NJ) -- Greenwood Gardens is excited to announce its upcoming Music and Dance in the Garden Series. With performances in May, July, September, and October, the program is composed of four outdoor performances featuring modern dance, the songs of Irving Berlin, classical music, and opera set in an enchanted garden setting. Stone Mountain Properties of Short Hills is sponsoring the Series for the fifth year in a row in memory of cherished family members.
“We are thrilled to present memorable artistic performances in the garden that routinely sell out, due to the interest and enthusiastic support of our community. It is with the generous support of returning sponsor Stone Mountain Properties, the Short Hills-based property management company, and the Birney family, that we can offer this high-quality programing to the public,” said Abby O’Neill, Executive Director.
“Sponsoring the Music and Dance in the Garden Series at Greenwood is deeply meaningful to our company and to our family. Since the inception, we have dedicated the Series to my late mother, Leeshan Birney, who founded Stone Mountain Properties in 1981, my late sister, Mayling Birney, who was a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and my late wife, Cynthia Samson-Birney, an executive with Stone Mountain. They each loved and appreciated nature and the arts, and this is a way to appropriately honor them,” said Ceyan Birney, owner and President of Stone Mountain Properties in Short Hills.
Four compelling performances form the basis of The Music and Dance in the Garden Series, which kicks off on May 22 with the high energy, evocative moves of Nimbus Dance during three exciting works that crackle with unexpected creativity and rousing athleticism. On July 24, the multi-talented Mari Green presents “A Fine Romance: The Songs of Irving Berlin and Beyond,” in the style of singing great, Ella Fitzgerald. On September 18, lovers of classical music will be enthralled by Lyrica Chamber Music’s “Evening of String Trios.” And on October 2, The Princeton Opera Company will present “An Evening of Arias,” performed by Princeton University’s student-run opera organization, who will explain the uniqueness of each piece. Rain dates for all performances are scheduled for the following night in case of inclement weather.
Entry to Greenwood begins at 5:30pm, when visitors are invited to stroll through the garden before the performances begin at 6:30pm. Complimentary wine and cheese will be served starting at 6:00pm on the site’s West Terrace.
“The garden provides the perfect backdrop for these talented artists. Tickets sell out quickly, so be sure to register early,” added Ms. O’Neill.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available for purchase online. Greenwood Gardens is located at 274 Old Short Hills Road in Short Hills, New Jersey.
The Music and Dance in the Garden Series is part of a broad-based lineup that includes more than 50 programs, tours, and events at Greenwood this season. The full list of programs, with links to register, is also available on the website.
Greenwood Gardens is a non-profit 28-acre historic public garden located at 274 Old Short Hills Road in Short Hills, New Jersey. In 2025, Greenwood Gardens was named one of New Jersey Travel and Tourism’s “One Dozen Must-Stroll Garden State Gardens.” A former private estate owned by the Day and Blanchard families over the last century, today Greenwood is a peaceful haven graced by terraced gardens, stately fountains, pools, statues, grottos, walls accented with Arts and Crafts pottery, woodlands, winding paths, lawns, ponds, and a barnyard. To accomplish its mission of connecting people with nature and the arts in a historic garden oasis, Greenwood offers the visiting public self-guided tours and programs at the nexus of nature, beauty, and history. Greenwood is open for the 2026 season from May 1 through November 8.
Conveniently located between New York City and Philadelphia, Greenwood Gardens is supported by gifts, membership, and volunteers.
Stone Mountain Properties, based in Short Hills, New Jersey, owns Short Hills Terrace apartments and the Short Hills Executive Center offices on Morris Turnpike near Kings Supermarkets. The family business owns and operates rental offices and apartment properties in New Jersey and Houston, Texas. In both 2022 and 2025, Stone Mountain was ranked #1 among all Property Management Companies in the 10-24 property category for Resident Satisfaction by Apartment Ratings.com, according to their Satisfacts EpIQ rankings. In both 2020 and 2024, the company was named as one of the Best Places to Work in Multifamily.
