This Weekend: Tours Galore Plus Frida-filled Fun

Posted in Around the Garden on August 14 2015, by Vilina Phan

Summer may be winding down, but the festivities of the Garden are heating up. With FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life in full swing there is no time like the present to experience the blockbuster exhibition, amid the backdrop of late summer flora seen throughout the massive garden grounds.

On Saturday, tour the Ross Conifer Arboretum where you will see and learn about the majestic world of conifers, with a few rarities that can only be found in select locations around the world, and of course, here at the Garden. Or Tour the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, exploring various habitats from around the world, all housed under one ceiling.

Sunday calls for even more tours! Learn about the aquatic house at the Conservatory, where you’ll see an acre of plants under glass. Or explore the Thain Family Forest, a 50-acre uncut woodland area, with experienced guides. But if you really just want a general gist of the Garden, then go on the Garden Highlight Tour, featuring pinnacle gardens and plants of the New York Botanical Garden.

And don’t forget about Frida! See rare works of her art at the Library, then go over to the Conservatory to see her home and garden, Casa Azul, come alive. This exhibition is not to be missed! So get your tickets now, and see the Garden before the summer’s over!

Saturday, August 15

Ross Conifer Arboretum Tour–12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum is a historic, 15-acre collection of towering pines, elegant spruces, and mountain firs from around the world. These irreplaceable trees were among the first planted at the Garden, some as far back as the early 1900s. Join an expertly trained Guide for a tour of these exquisite specimens.

Live Music and Dance–1 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
In Ross Hall
Mexico Beyond Mariachi, a collective of professional teaching artists, musicians, and dancers, creates a bridge that connects audiences to the living traditions of Mexico through a musical journey that begins with the conquest and leads to the present day. The New York Metro Area performance group has been seen by more than one million people over the last 10 years.

Conservatory Tour–2:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s Guides. Take an ecotour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays

¡Cámara, Acción! Mexican Film Series–3 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
In Ross Hall  
Experience Frida Kahlo on the big screen with the Academy Award-winning film Frida, directed by Julie Taymor and starring Salma Hayek. On Sundays, a revolving series of compelling documentaries, shorts, and features takes you inside the vibrant culture of Mexico today, presented in partnership with Cinema Tropical.

Today’s Feature: FRIDA (Julie Taymor, USA, 2002, 123 min. Rated R) (English) Frida chronicles the life Frida Kahlo shared unflinchingly and openly with Diego Rivera as the young couple took the art world by storm. Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary.

Sunday, August 16

Aquatic House Tour–12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Explore aquatic habitats found within the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass. Take an eco-tour through these distinct biomes, with one of the Garden’s tour guides.

Live Music and Dance–1 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
In Ross Hall
Mexico Beyond Mariachi, a collective of professional teaching artists, musicians, and dancers, creates a bridge that connects audiences to the living traditions of Mexico through a musical journey that begins with the conquest and leads to the present day. The New York Metro Area performance group has been seen by more than one million people over the last 10 years.

Garden Highlights Tour–2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Sights and scents flourish across the 250 acres of the Botanical Garden. Join a Garden Guide for a walking tour featuring highlights of the gardens and plant collections.

¡Cámara, Acción! Mexican Film Series–3 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
In Ross Hall
Experience Frida Kahlo on the big screen with the Academy Award-winning film Frida, directed by Julie Taymor and starring Salma Hayek. On Sundays, a revolving series of compelling documentaries, shorts, and features takes you inside the vibrant culture of Mexico today, presented in partnership with Cinema Tropical.

Today’s Feature: H2O MX (Jose Cohen and Lorenzo Hagerman, Mexico, 2013, 82 minutes.) Access to potable water is not a luxury but an essential human right. In the largest city in the Americas, though, Mexico City’s 22 million residents are faced with myriad of geographical, economic, and political obstacles to a consistent water source. H2O MX investigates the daily issues that the megalopolis faces, from dangerous detergent buildup in the clouds to farmers in Mezquital living off wastewater irrigation and Chalco citizens fending off perennial floods. It reminds us that sustainability is more than just a buzzword –it’s a philosophy deeply linked to social justice in an urban setting.- Margaret Mead Film Festival Winner, 2014, Filmmaker Award.

Forest Tour–4 p.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.

 

Ongoing Children’s Programs

Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens—1:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Garden beds are filled with plants featured in the favorite recipes of the chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants. Kids can explore the gardens to solve Mario’s Menu Mystery game.

Dig! Plant! Grow! Salad Days–1:30-6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Plants and imaginations grow at the Howell Family Garden, where kids are allowed!—no, encouraged!—to play in the dirt. Display gardens, such as the Global Gardens, the Bean Tunnel, or Salad Bowl, and daily interactive gardening activities delight and inspire. Drop-in activities end at 5:30 p.m.

Cooking with Frida–2 & 4 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Hands-on activities in the Edible Academy’s Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden bring together children and their families to experience the colors, textures, smells, and tastes of Frida Kahlo’s Mexican kitchen. Cooking demonstrations feature recipes inspired by those Frida served to family and friends, using nutritious, garden-based ingredients. Visitors can explore and tend to the plant staples of Mexican cuisine growing throughout the Family Garden: beans, tomatoes, peppers, chiles, herbs, and more!

Frida’s Flora and Fauna–10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Visit the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden to experience the inspiration Frida Kahlo found in the natural world that can be seen and appreciated in her artwork. Throughout the Adventure Garden investigate plants and animals growing and living in New York City, using your senses as well as scientific tools to discover your own creative muse.