Experience the Beauty of Fall at Columbus Botanical Garden!

As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to paint the landscape with vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold, there’s no better time to visit the Columbus Botanical Garden than in the enchanting season of fall! Take a stroll through our lush gardens and embrace the serene ambiance as you wander our picturesque JoAnn Holt Walking Trail with the soothing sounds of nature all around. Don’t forget to walk through the Ginkgo Shade Garden as the Ginkgo Tree’s leaves are beginning to change to their striking shade of yellow!

We have a calendar filled with exciting fall events for all ages this month! From our BOOtanical Halloween celebration to the GROOVEtanical benefit concert, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Come create lasting memories with your loved ones at Columbus Botanical Garden.

NEWSLETTER PREVIEW:

BOOtanical Halloween Celebration

GROOVEtanical Benefit Concert

GALA in the GARDEN Recap

Saturday Activity Under the Oak

NEW – Seedling Storytime

Volunteer of the Month

SHINE
and MORE!

Keep up with ALL upcoming events here:

Open EVERY DAY
9am-5pm, last entrance time at 4pm

BOOtanical Hours, Sunday, October 29th:

Garden general admission is closed. // Gates open for BOOtanical at 12:30pm

GROOVEtanical Concert, Friday, October 27th:

Garden closing at 2:00pm // Gates open for GROOVEtanical at 5:30pm

Members and nonmembers, please check in at admission kiosk before entering the Garden.
As always, thank you for your membership!

Use your CBG membership to receive discounts on the many upcoming events and visit the Garden as many times as you want throughout the year for free!

Garden Admission: $10 adults // $5 ages 4-17 // Free 0-3
Free entry for CBG Members

WEBSITE UPDATE: All memberships are added to the new website. If you haven’t logged into your new account yet:

Go to LOG IN using the email associated with your membership and select “forgot password”. Check your spam for your “reset password” email and follow the instructions.

Please email columbusbotanical@gmail.com or call our office for assistance.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Get ready for our 2nd annual BOOtanical Garden Not-So-Scary Halloween event!

We had an incredible turnout at our first BOOtanical last year and can’t wait to do it all again this year! Families will traverse the Garden and participate in FUN games and crafts. Upon finishing activities, kids will receive CANDY! We will also have face painting, story-time, and a LIVE BAT education program with A-Z Animals every hour! Concessions will be available for purchase.

Activities are geared toward ages 12 and under.

Come Trick-or-Treat in a safe environment surrounded by the beauty of nature!

Kick-off Halloween weekend at GROOVEtanical on Friday, October 27th, 6:00-8:30pm!

Bring a lawn chair to the Garden for a fall benefit concert featuring The Band Silhouette from Auburn, AL. Craft beer will be provided by Scofflaw Brewing and we will have concessions available for purchase.

$20  Nonmembers // $10 CBG Member

Kids are welcome, please pay $5 at the door (Ages 0-3 free.)

Ticket purchase includes one FREE drink from Scofflaw Brewing Co!

Little Sprouts

Tuesday, October 3rd, 10-11am

 Little Sprouts will learn what makes a habitat and then explore the different habitats found within the garden and examine the critters that live in each!

$5 members / $7 nonmembers (per child), free entry for 1 caretaker

Budding Naturalist

Thursday, October 12th, 10-11am

Naturalists will learn what makes a habitat and then explore the different habitats found within the garden and examine the critters that live in each!

$5 members / $7 nonmembers (per child), free entry for 1 caretaker

Lunch & Learn

Wednesday, October 18th, 12:00-1:00pm

Ashley Desensi from the local non-profit, Native Plant Coalition will be back at the Garden discussing native plants! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about native plants in our area.

FREE for CBG members // $10 for nonmembers

We hope you have taken advantage of this fun opportunity every Saturday from 9-11am! Activity Under the Oak features nature-themed activities that’ll teach kids all about things like bird beak adaptations, identifying leaves, animal habitats, and more! Stop by the Big Oak on Saturday mornings between 9:00-11:00 AM from September 9th through November 18th and participate in a fun educational activity! 

Activities are geared towards elementary-aged children but are fun for the whole family.

FREE for members / Regular admission for nonmembers / 0-3 free

No pre-registration necessary

Seedling Storytime is a fun, interactive experience for kids aged 0-2. Children will get to experience a fun storytime, sensory activities, a song and dance, and more! This program will be held on the 3rd Monday of every month.

Monday, October 16th, 10-11am
Topic: Habitats!

Nonmembers: $7, Members: $5, (per child), 1 free caretaker

Activities will be held in the Adams Farmhouse.

****For ALL events, CBG members MUST create/log in to your account & add a ticket to your cart to automatically receive your member discounts on the new website. Please email or call for questions.

GALA in the GARDEN

GALA in the GARDEN

2023 Gala in the Garden was our most successful gala yet at Columbus Botanical Garden! Thank you to EVERYONE who made this event so special, beautiful, and possible – especially our Gala committee, including co-chairs Cally Dixon & Caroline Kennon, our generous corporate and patron sponsors, our Board of Directors, the gala dinner auction hosts, staff, volunteers and so many more!

See our full list of sponsors HERE.

Thursday evening, we had a delicious southern dinner by 11th and Bay Southern Table and drinks and danced the night away with live music by the talented, recently signed in Nashville sister trio, The Castellows!

GARDEN LUNCHEON

The Garden Luncheon this year was a REAL TREAT as we got to hear from THE James Farmer, bestselling author, interior designer, and gardener! Special thank you to Magnolia & Moonshine for sponsoring the Garden Luncheon.

We started with mimosas and a delightful lunch by Kimble’s. Everyone was all smiles (& laughs) as James shared his knowledge of creating beautiful southern homes and gardens as well as many great stories of his experiences along the way!

We were honored to present the Sally Foley Award this year to Betsy Leebern. This award is given to a board member with grateful appreciation and to honor their dedicated service to the Garden.

Our Volunteer(s) of the Year award was presented to Mark  Eckelkamp and Beth France. We appreciate the amount of time and dedication they have given and continue to give to maintain the beauty of the Garden!

THANK YOU!

Thank you to ALL of our guests who came out to enjoy these wonderful events to benefit CBG! We couldn’t be more grateful for the amount of support we have received from our community as a garden for all.

Photos by Morgan Duke Photography

What’s Happening at CBG?

Pollinator Pals School Garden Program

Pollinator Field Day!

sponsored by AFLAC

Find STEVE the SKELETON throughout the Garden in October!

Bones will be hidden throughout the Garden during the whole month of October. Can you find them all to make Steve a whole skeleton again? Make sure to stop by Visitor Services to grab your skeleton scavenger hunt! Upon finishing, show it to the VS team to receive CANDY!

A Message from Executive Director,

Adriana Quiñones

First, I want to thank everyone who was a part of our record-setting Gala in the Garden! From our staff and volunteers to the incredible Gala committee, to the exceptional board, everyone pulled together to present the best Gala for a cause! I am so proud of the teamwork and commitment that everyone had. Despite the rain that muddied up our newly laid sod, everyone enjoyed the evening with the incredible rising stars, The Castellows, and an entertaining and heartwarming lunch with Mr. James Farmer. The most special thanks go to our patrons and sponsors, who invested into the Garden’s future by supporting us at the highest levels. My gratitude knows no limits and all of us here at the Garden feel the support of our community. Thank you!

Fall has officially arrived and I am looking forward to some relief from the heat wave. The Garden does not slow down so get ready to hear more about BOOtanical and our new event: GROOVEtanical. We are excited to keep presenting activities and events for the whole family and welcoming everyone to the Garden. And remember, the best way to enjoy all the garden offers is to become a member. Your support means so much to us and we could not do it all without you. Now go find your “not-so-scary” Halloween costume and we will see you in the Garden soon!

With Gratitude,

Adriana

Coming up at CBG!

🌟 Join us for our annual dazzling holiday light display, SHINE at Columbus Botanical Garden! 🌟

Get ready to embark on a journey of twinkling lights, festive fun, and heartwarming memories that will leave you in awe at SHINE, a Celebration of Nature and Wonder! Santa Claus will make a special appearance each night to spread holiday cheer so bring the kids to share their Christmas wishes and the perfect photo op. Let your children’s creativity shine at our holiday-themed craft stations and make some delicious s’mores by a fire. And finally, be mesmerized by our breathtaking Walk of Stars, a path of illuminated Shine Stars honoring and remembering loved ones.

Festive concessions will be available for purchase and live music or performances to get you in the holiday spirit!

Mark your calendar for the following dates.
December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29

We will have a special “Member Night” on November 29th, where CBG members experience Shine for FREE. For all other nights, members will receive discounts on tickets.

Tickets will be on sale in November.

Corporate Sponsorship opportunities are available! Please email vjohnsoncbg@gmail.com for more information.

Shine Stars will be on sale soon.

We will have special nights for Cookies and Cocoa with Santa, which kids LOVE!

Volunteer of the Month, Mary Claire Streat!

Mary Claire has been a dedicated Environmental Education intern, volunteering her time in CBG’s Environmental Education Department since February 2023. Mary Claire has been an invaluable asset in planning and executing our adult and children’s programs and events. She assists Lauren Moore, Environmental Education Coordinator in writing and teaching curriculum for field trips and various programs, along with the many tasks for crafts and activities for kids. She has also begun helping plan CBG’s 2024 summer camp activities.

Mary Claire is currently a student at Columbus State University pursuing a degree in Environmental Science.

We asked Mary Claire what her favorite part of volunteering at the Garden is:

“My favorite part about volunteering at the Garden is experiencing the dynamic community that Columbus has, I am not from here so it’s been really interesting getting to see that aspect.”

We are incredibly grateful for the work Mary Claire does for our education programs!

Become a CBG Member!

Benefits include:

• Free admission to Columbus Botanical Garden

• Reciprocal benefits with 345+ gardens, arboreta, and conservatories – including free entry into the Atlanta Botanical Garden

• Monthly Growing Garden email newsletter

• Invitations to members-only events

• Member’s discount ticket pricing on programs and most public events

For more information on CBG Memberships, contact Veronica Johnson at vjohnsoncbg@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping our garden grow! We hope to see you at Columbus Botanical Garden this month!