Spring Garden Festival at Fairchild Garden

Step into spring with delicious food and fun for the whole family at the Spring Garden Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. This year’s festival is on Saturday, April 12 – Sunday, April 13 from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm and features the 35th Annual Spring Plant Sale, Butterfly Days, and many more activities to celebrate springtime.

The 35th Annual Spring Plant Sale features thousands of healthy plants grown by Fairchild staff and local vendors. Plant valets will be on hand to assist with purchases. Guests can take a walking tour through the Edible Garden and watch gardening demonstrations to see the best ways to take care of the plants that grow well in South Florida. 

In partnership with the Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association, the Butterfly Days will bring together professional entomologists and lepidopterists to teach guests the best ways to capture butterflies on camera, how to conserve butterflies in South Florida, and how to attract native butterflies to any garden.

Spring wouldn’t be complete without delicious edibles. Discover new recipes from local chefs at the Cooking Demonstration Tent sponsored by Whole Foods Market. This year, chefs will highlight the best ways to use honey to sweeten dishes. As part of The Fairchild Challenge’s Green Cuisine Competition, middle and high school students will present dishes featuring plants originally introduced to the U.S. by plant explorer David Fairchild, the Garden’s namesake, to a panel of judges. David Fairchild helped introduce numerous foods to the U.S., including mango, pistachio, and soy beans. Winners will present their culinary creations at a special cooking demo on Sunday, April 13 at 3:00 pm Garden House Lawn vendors and the Fairchild Farm Fruit Market will have fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and prepared foods available for purchase. Guests 21 and over can sample brews from the Spring Beer Garden featuring crisp tastes of the season.

On view throughout the Garden is the 2013-2014 Art at Fairchild exhibition featuring sustainable designs by Brazilian designer Hugo França. The 16 functional design pieces are all made from reclaimed wood found in Brazil. The exhibition is on view until May 31.

Looking for a new, eco-friendly car? Acura is sponsoring test drives of their Acura RLX throughout the weekend. Sign up to try out the new low emission and fuel efficient vehicle.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156. Admission to the Spring Garden Festival is free for Fairchild members and children 5 and under. For nonmembers, admission is $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up, and $12 for children 6-17. Those who walk, bike, or take public transportation receive $5 off adult admission and $2 off child admission. Those with a Military ID have free admission, with $20 for their spouses and $10 for their children.

For more info, please call 305-667-1651 or visit the Spring Garden Festival webpage.