This Weekend: From Scarecrows to Sushi

Posted in Programs and Events on October 10 2014, by Lansing Moore

NYBG will be open all Columbus Day Weekend—including Monday, October 13—for three days of special programming! Today through Monday, the Japanese Pop-Up Restaurant in the Garden Café will be open for visitors who want to complete their experience at Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Families in The Haunted Pumpkin Garden will enjoy three days of Halloween Parades in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Kids will also enjoy Scarecrow Weekend in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden as they celebrate the harvest season with festive activities all across NYBG. All ages can learn about the conservation of one of Halloween’s most celebrated creatures, the bat, at our Gone Batty! Live Bat Encounter at the Clay Family Picnic Pavilions. The Perennial Garden will even host a live demonstration for making the perfect fall centerpiece.

Don’t forget that next weekend Ray Villafane returns to NYBG for our Pumpkin Carving Weekend. You won’t want to miss the chance to see his latest creepy creation come to life! Catch a sneak peek at Grand Central Terminal on October 17 when Ray will be there with his team, beginning work on a massive zombie carving. MasterCard^® cardholders can also let their kids join in the fun with one of our Budding Masters Creepy Pumpkin Carving Adventures!

Click through for the full lineup of programs for the next three days, and come enjoy fall at the Garden!

Saturday, October 11

Roaming Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Get an in-depth look into the world of kiku with guides stationed throughout the exhibition.

Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert to learn about bird-friendly habitats, migrating species, and birds that make a permanent home at the Garden.

Creepy Creatures of Halloween – 12 & 2 p.m.
Part of The Haunted Pumpkin Garden
At the Clay Family Picnic Pavilions
Some of the animals that make us scream are actually the coolest animals around. Meet some new critters from our big backyard and beyond during this live presentation and discover the unique adaptations that help them survive in their habitats.

Native Plant Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Join a tour guide for an insider’s view of the newly designed Native Plant Garden. Enjoy a mosaic of nearly 100,000 native trees, wildflowers, ferns and grasses designed to flourish in every season.

Gone Batty! Live Bat Encounter – 1 & 3 p.m.
Part of The Haunted Pumpkin Garden
At the Clay Family Picnic Pavilions
Back by popular demand! In this family-friendly, live animal program, you’ll come face-to-face with different bats from around the world, including the North American Big Brown bat, the endangered Rodrigues bat, and the Malayan Flying Fox—a beautiful bat with a six-foot wingspan. Learn how bats impact humans and keep our environment healthy, and discover easy ways to make your backyard a refuge for these important animals.

Taiko Drumming – 1 & 3 p.m.
A part of Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden
On the Conservatory Lawn
Thunderous and thrilling, the taiko (Japanese drum) has been called “the voice and spirit of the Japanese people.” From its roots in agriculture and use in the ancient music in shrines and temples, traditional taiko folk music is believed to have entertained the gods, attracted good fortune, driven away evil forces and insects, lent strength and courage to warriors, and celebrated life. Join in the celebration with the skilled drummers from Taiko Masala.

Home Gardening Demonstration: Autumnal Centerpieces – 2 p.m.
In the Perennial Garden
Floral arrangements are no longer just about beautiful flowers. Join Gardener for Public Education Sonia Uyterhoeven as she explores the possibilities of making decorative table settings with the bounty from the season.

History of NYBG Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Join us for a tour of historically significant sites within the Garden’s 250 acres. Receive a fascinating overview of the Garden’s history and its importance as a vital NYC cultural destination since 1891.

Sunday, October 12

Roaming Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Get an in-depth look into the world of kiku with guides stationed throughout the exhibition.

Perennial Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Join a Garden Guide for a tour of the Perennial Garden, which combines a vast palette of colors, textures, flowers, and foliage to create interest in every season.

Kiku Tour – 2:30 & 4 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory entrance
Kiku pays homage to hanami, the custom of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of flowers, with magnificent displays of chrysanthemums. The show’s centerpiece is an unforgettable presentation of kiku trained to grow in a mesmerizing variety of contemporary and traditional shapes and styles. Enjoy a walkthrough with a guide that can provide insights into how these forms were grown at NYBG.

Monday, October 13

Roaming Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Get an in-depth look into the world of kiku with guides stationed throughout the exhibition.

Forest Tour – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Experience the beauty of the Garden’s 50-acre Thain Family Forest on this one-hour walking tour with an expertly trained Guide. You’ll learn facts about the trees, history, geology, and ecology of this original, uncut woodland.

Kiku Tour – 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory entrance
Kiku pays homage to hanami, the custom of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of flowers, with magnificent displays of chrysanthemums. The show’s centerpiece is an unforgettable presentation of kiku trained to grow in a mesmerizing variety of contemporary and traditional shapes and styles. Enjoy a walkthrough with a guide that can provide insights into how these forms were grown at NYBG.

Ongoing Children’s Programs

The Haunted Pumpkin Garden – 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
The Haunted Pumpkin Garden returns to its roots with a massive display of pumpkins and gourds from North America, ranging from the unusual to the gargantuan. Thousands of specimens will create a unique and fascinating backdrop to the slate of Halloween activities in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Every day kids can play inside the Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, look for wiggly worms under a rotting log, and plant a pumpkin seed to take home, while each weekend offers parades and even more treats. Additional Halloween parades are scheduled for Monday, October 13, at 1 and 3 p.m.

Dig, Plant, Grow: Goodnight, Garden – 1:30 – 6 p.m.
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Join us as we prepare the garden for the change in seasons. Plant a cover crop, bury bulbs before the frost, and grab a rake to gather all of the fallen leaves.

Dig, Plant, Grow: Scarecrow Weekend – 1:30 – 6 p.m.
A Part of The Haunted Pumpkin Garden
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
October 11–13, help us dress up a scarecrow to fill our garden with friendly faces as we prepare for fall harvest. One scarecrow per family.

Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens – 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Kids can explore with Mario’s Menu Mystery game, featuring favorite vegetables and herbs from nine of his restaurants’ kitchens, including Otto and Del Posto.

Cooking Demonstrations – 2 & 4 p.m.
At the Whole Foods Market® Family Garden Kitchen
From late spring into early fall, learn to cook up flavorful new recipes using garden-fresh ingredients, twice a day on Wednesdays and weekends in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden.
Sponsored by Whole Foods Market and Viking

This Weekend: From Scarecrows to Sushi

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