Join garden lovers at this year’s Fall Garden Festival to celebrate the event’s 22nd anniversary. The annual Fall Garden Festival is an educational experience for home gardeners and professionals.
The festival includes plant & garden product exhibits, sales throughout the garden, a Children's Fun Fest activities area, educational programs, music, arts & crafts, and more. Educational programs take place in the Garden Study Center and are free with entrance to the show. There will be live music each day for patrons to enjoy.
This event is sponsored by the New Orleans Botanical Garden, New Orleans City Park, the New Orleans Botanical Garden Foundation, and Friends of City Park.
Admission: $8 for adults and
$4 for children ages 5 -12
Children under 4 years old and Friends of City Park members receive free admission
Click here to purchase adult tickets. Children tickets must be purchased at the event gate.
When:
Saturday, October 8th from 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, October 9th from 10 am to 4 pm
Where: New Orleans Botanical Garden, New Orleans City Park
Contact: Susan Capley, New Orleans Botanical Garden Education Director (483-9473 or SCapley@nocp.org)
Fall Garden Festival Schedule:
Education:
All classes are free with paid admission to the Fall Garden Festival.
Saturday, October 8th
11 am – 12 pm: “Beginning Birdwatching”
Speaker Wendy Rhiner, Education Chair, Orleans Audubon Society
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: “Attracting Birds to the Landscape”
Speaker Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter
2 pm – 3 pm: “Backyard Birds”
Speaker Joelle Finely, Orleans Audubon Society
Sunday, October 9th
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: “Birds and How to Attract Them to Your Garden”
Speaker Cathy DiSalvo, Bird and Garden Enthusiast
2 pm – 3 pm: “Tree Planting 101”
Speaker Chris Dunaway, LSU AgCenter Assistant
Children’s Fun Fest Activities Area:
Our children’s tent will feature activities led by City Park Movement and Art. Have the kids join the group to make a clothespin butterfly, set up a seed sprouting experiment to take home, participate in yoga for kids, and hear storytelling. The Botanical Garden staff will also have craft activities and garden scavenger hunts for the kids.
Saturday, October 8th 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 9th 12 pm - 4 pm
Music:
Saturday and Sunday 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Live music in the Conservatory by French Bred
Saturday and Sunday 12 pm – 2 pm
Local performance artist and writer, Vinylux aka Christy Soto, will be performing original songs in a floor length bird cage skirt that she designed. This performance will be in the Southern Shade Garden. Christy is the Executive Director of The Creativity Collective.
Scarecrow Trail:
Take a stroll through the Scarecrow Trail; open on both days of the festival. The scarecrows have been created by individuals, schools, and organizations. The Scarecrow Trail is located near and inside the Historic Train Garden. The Scarecrow Trail is sponsored by Alligator Irrigation.
Cooking Demo and Tastings:
Enjoy ongoing presentations, both days, all day long! Linda Franzo, owner of Passionate Platter, will inspire you with edible herbal aroma cuisine and aromatherapy with her plants right by her side! Linda will show how to group, grow, harvest, and preserve herbs. Learn new ideas and herbal knowledge while you select herbs for your fall herb containers or garden beds. Recipes on fall entertaining will be available for you to bring home.
Birdhouse Exhibit:
The birdhouses will be on exhibit for three weeks, ending October 23rd, during which the public can place bids on their favorite birdhouses. Bids can be placed at any time during the three weeks at the Botanical Garden Gift Shop located in the Tolmas Center and will culminate at a “Home TWEET Home” auction party October 23rd from 5p.m.-7p.m; all exhibitors and the public are invited to attend the party. Starting October 1st the New Orleans Botanical Garden will also provide programs about local birds and birdwatching, building birdhouses, making bird feeders, bird watching in City Park and much more!
Future Fall Garden Festival Dates:
October 7-8, 2017
October 6-7, 2018
October 5-6, 2019
Create a one-of-a-kind scarecrow for the Fall Garden Festival Scarecrow Contest! Individuals, families, businesses, civic organizations and schools are all invited to participate in this annual competition. The scarecrows will be on display in the garden during October and will be judged on the Saturday of the Fall Garden Festival.