This Weekend: A World of Orchids Arrives at the Conservatory
Posted in Programs and Events on February 26 2016, by Lansing Moore
This weekend is the grand opening of The Orchid Show: Orchidelirium! This year’s exhibition brings visitors through the thrilling history of “orchidelirium”—the Victorian-era orchid craze that led high-profile orchid collectors to spend astronomical sums accumulating rare specimens of these flowers from across the globe. Intrepid explorers met this demand with ever more daring and dangerous orchid-hunting expeditions. Pass through thousands of orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and follow the story, while understanding more about NYBG’s ongoing role as a leading orchid conservator, rehabilitating orchids still being seized by customs at international borders in this day and age.
Complete your experience with Live dance performances that reflect the global diversity of orchid varieties, plus expert-led tours, Q&A sessions, and orchid care demonstrations. This weekend promises beautiful weather for New York City, so join us and embark on a tropical excursion at The Orchid Show! Continue reading for this weekend’s full schedule.
Saturday, February 27
Roaming Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Garden guides highlight parts of the permanent collection and special exhibition to add insight to your experience of The Orchid Show. They will provide an in-depth look at rare and extraordinary orchid specimens on display.
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with a bird expert. You’ll search for our feathered friends and learn more about bird-friendly habitats, passage birds, and those that make a permanent home at the Garden.
Winter Tree Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Even in cold weather there’s plenty of interest in our gardens and collections. Join one of our Tour Guides for this walking tour highlighting majestic trees in the winter landscape.
World Beat: Music & Dance Around the World of Orchids – 1 & 3 p.m.
Part of The Orchid Show
In Ross Hall, or seasonally, in Conservatory Plaza
Orchids fascinate and touch the lives of people in every country and culture. Hear stories about the travel and discoveries of early orchid collectors and delight in the music and dance of the countries they explored. Different artists perform throughout the season, highlighting many cultures.
India: Parul Shah Dance Company
Parul Shah‘s work builds on the dance form’s mythological storytelling roots to explore universal narratives, using a rich movement vocabulary that communicates the dynamic and often paradoxical nature of modern life. While preserving the emotive quality unique to Indian classical dance, Shah tells her own stories that foster understanding, empathy, and relationships between audience and performer.
Orchid Expert Q&A – 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
In NYBG Shop
Drop in and ask about orchid care tips. Get help selecting the proper orchid for your home.
Orchid Care Demonstrations – 2:30 & 3:30 p.m.
In the Conservatory GreenSchool
Join NYBG experts as they discuss the basics of orchid care and how to choose and successfully grow these exotic plants.
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.
Sunday, February 28
Roaming Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Garden guides highlight parts of the permanent collection and special exhibition to add insight to your experience of The Orchid Show. They will provide an in-depth look at rare and extraordinary orchid specimens on display.
Winter Tree Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Even in cold weather there’s plenty of interest in our gardens and collections. Join one of our Tour Guides for this walking tour highlighting majestic trees in the winter landscape.
World Beat: Music & Dance Around the World of Orchids – 1 & 3 p.m.
Part of The Orchid Show
In Ross Hall, or seasonally, in Conservatory Plaza
Orchids fascinate and touch the lives of people in every country and culture. Hear stories about the travel and discoveries of early orchid collectors and delight in the music and dance of the countries they explored. Different artists perform throughout the season, highlighting many cultures.
India: Parul Shah Dance Company
Parul Shah‘s work builds on the dance form’s mythological storytelling roots to explore universal narratives, using a rich movement vocabulary that communicates the dynamic and often paradoxical nature of modern life. While preserving the emotive quality unique to Indian classical dance, Shah tells her own stories that foster understanding, empathy, and relationships between audience and performer.
Orchid Expert Q&A – 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
In NYBG Shop
Drop in and ask about orchid care tips. Get help selecting the proper orchid for your home.
Orchid Care Demonstrations – 2:30 & 3:30 p.m.
In the Conservatory GreenSchool
Join NYBG experts as they discuss the basics of orchid care and how to choose and successfully grow these exotic plants.
Landmarks of The New York Botanical Garden 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.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Wintertime Wonders – 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Inside the cozy Discovery Center kids of all ages can take a closer look at the wonders of plants and animals in winter. Make bark rubbings, count tree rings, craft a bud necklace and head back into the winter garden with a field notebook to discover the vital sparks of life that lie just below the surface of this quiet season in the Northeast.
