It’s finally chic scarf and light sweater weather, and the New Orleans Botanical Garden is starting the season off with its 21st Annual Fall Garden Festival this weekend.
Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 bring days filled with activities for home gardeners, professional gardeners, fans of all things floral and events designed for children. Educational programs will be offered at the Garden Study Center and are free with your paid admission to the Botanical Garden.
The Educational Lectures, sponsored by Metro Area Horticulture Foundation, on offer this year include: “Gardening in the Shade” presented by Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter; “The Home Vegetable Gardener,” presented by Lee Rouse, LSU AgCenter; “Salvias,” presented by Anne Barnes and Anne Abbott, The Herb Society of America, New Orleans Unit; “Fall Tree Planting,” presented by Cynthia Metcalf, Greater New Orleans Master Gardener; and “How to Attract Birds to Your Garden,” presented by Cathy DiSalvo, Bird and Garden Enthusiast.
Entertainment will be provided by the Mélange Dance Company on both days, who will be performing an improvisational act on Saturday and pieces from their new work, “Once Upon a Dream,” on Sunday. Music will be performed by John Rankin, French Bread and Rex Gregory.
The family-friendly festival will highlight the work of Grow Dat Youth Farm with a booth on vegetable gardening, city composting and tea making from farm-grown hibiscus flowers. They will also have their pop-up marketplace where visitors can shop to support the farm.
Children’s activities will be lead by City Park Movement and Art in the Fun Fest Activities Area. Kids can create a clothespin butterfly, set up a seed sprouting experiment to take home, participate in yoga and hear storytelling. The Botanical Garden staff will have additional craft activities and garden scavenger hunts for children as well.
The Fall Garden Festival also includes cooking demonstrations and the “Good eARTh Experience” art exhibit with work and demos in the Southern Shade Garden. Exhibiting artists are Hernan Caro, Arden Stewart, Darrin Butler, Mitch Landry and Linda Berman.
Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 5 -12. Children under 4 and Friends of City Park receive free admission. Details can be found here.
