A “gourd” time awaits visitors of all ages at the Fall Festival on Oct. 19 in The Gardens at Texas A&M University. The celebration of autumn includes fall-inspired crafts and educational activities about fall critters, crops and more.
The free event is open to the community and runs from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Leach Teaching Gardens, 556 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station. Conveniently scheduled on an away football game day, access to The Gardens should be easy for a family-friendly outing.
Fall critters and crops
Some of the festival’s activities will reflect fall holiday and harvest themes.
“We’ve got a great lineup of activities for visitors to learn about critters folks associate with the season, as well as agriculture crops and fall vegetables,” said Kat Grier, coordinator of education programming and outreach for The Gardens.
“We’ll have a spider craft, an educational display about bats, an ornamental corn-inspired craft, a pumpkin display, an interactive demonstration about the journey of cotton from field to yarn, and much more,” Grier said. “This time of year is also a great time to catch sight of monarch butterflies on their way through The Gardens on their fall migration.”
The Fall Festival is one of The Garden’s most popular events each year, said Michael Arnold, Ph.D., director of The Gardens and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences.
“The campus and community organizations that provide engaging, educational activities attract many first-time and repeat visitors to enjoy our beautiful gardens,” Arnold said. “The Leach Teaching Gardens is one of the nation’s premier teaching gardens, with more than 7 acres for outdoor teaching and demonstrations.”
Educational demonstrations include a display about bats by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a leaf exploration by the Texas A&M Forest Service, baby turkeys by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists in the Department of Poultry Science, and demonstrations about how cotton is ginned and made into thread by the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Cotton Improvement Lab and the Brazos Valley Spinners and Weavers Guild.
Other presenters include AgriLife Extension’s Brazos County Master Gardeners, Junior Master Gardeners, and Brazos Valley Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists, and the A&M Garden Club.
More to see on your garden stroll
Participants can enjoy refreshments at the Pavilion, story time from the Texas A&M University Libraries, the pumpkin display at The Gardens photo wall, a walk through the gourd tunnel, and a dance performance in the Mexican Heritage Garden by the Maroon Prestige student dance group.
Visitors are encouraged to share photos from the festival by using the hashtag #TAMUGardens.
A sensory-free/quiet zone will be available during the festival for anyone who may want or need a quieter environment at any point during the event.
Attendees can park free in Lots 97 or 100c. More information about parking, directions and a map are available on the Fall Festival webpage.
Make the fun last
If you are unable to attend, here are suggestions for celebrating fall in The Gardens:
- Print a fall-themed coloring page to enjoy coloring among the pumpkins.
- Download a fall scavenger hunt and explore The Gardens.
- Bring your camera for photos in front of the pumpkin wall any time in October.
- Create one of these delicious fall recipes from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Dinner Tonight program:
- No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
- Cranberry Orange Bread
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