We always like to hear about new exhibits and events at the lovely Cleveland Botanical Garden. And now that fall has arrived, the garden is marking the season in style with displays and special events. For tickets and more information, go to holdenfg.org.
Starting in October, pumpkins, pansies, cabbage, cornstalks, kale, mums and so much more transform the outdoor gardens into a fall wonderland. Beautiful fall displays will be showcased throughout the indoor and outdoor gardens at the Botanical Garden. Be sure not to miss this time of year in the garden for a festive photo opportunity or simply an opportunity to experience fall flora in all its splendor.
LEAF DISCOVERY TRAIL
Appreciate the beauty of fall color by learning about the leaves and trees at the Botanical Garden. Follow the Leaf Trail, a leaf identification activity that teaches you how to identify 10 deciduous trees, including sugar maple, pawpaw, and river birch, marked with signs on the grounds.
RENAISSANCE AT THE GARDEN
On Oct. 4 from noon – 8 p.m., Renaissance at the Garden returns by popular demand. Stroll the gardens as live music fills the air, enjoy performances and activities inspired by the era, and shop for unique finds from local vendors. Guests are encouraged to dress in costume for a day of fun, flavor, and a touch of old-world charm. Cost: $15 per member, $25 per nonmember.
THE WESTERN RESERVE HERB SOCIETY HERB FAIR
On Oct. 17 the 79th Western Reserve Herb Society Herb Fair arrives at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Check out the selection of hand-crafted herbal items including herbal blends, jams and jellies, herbal teas, wreaths, pressed flower note cards, potpourri, baked goods, and creative recycling finds. Included with admission.
BOO-TANICAL BASH
On Saturday, Oct. 24 from noon – 3 p.m., enjoy a DJ dance party, games and storytime from noon to 3 p.m., with storytime taking place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Families looking to add even more Halloween fun can purchase a children’s activity wristband, which includes bag decorating outside the Hershey Children’s Garden, a Trick-or-Treat Trail through the Hershey Children’s Garden and access to a craft room featuring hands-on crafts and coloring pages. Activity wristbands are $15 and required for children participating in the trick-or-treat trail and craft activities; adults and other guests do not need an additional wristband. Advance ticket purchase is strongly encouraged.
BOTANICAL GARDEN AFTER DARK
On Sat., Oct. 24 from 7 – 10 p.M. come dressed to impress for this adults-only costume party. Guests can discover their future with tarot readings by Forest Empress, enjoy line dancing with Linedance is my Therapy, win prizes in a costume contest, and shop local vendors. Cost: $25 for members, and $30 for nonmembers. Registration required. Botanical Garden After Dark Registration.
ART ON DISPLAY
Jules Webster – Guren Gallery
Jules Webster is a landscape painter and educator whose vibrant, garden-inspired works explore the interplay of light, color and place. She is the founder of The Art Supply Depo and co-founder of the Sylvania Plein Air Festival. Through Gardens of Eden, Webster creates impossibly perfect, “super-natural” landscapes that invite viewers to reconnect with the awe and wonder of nature. Her paintings offer an alternate reality where flowers and foliage exist in harmonious balance, providing a vibrant escape from an increasingly indoor and screen-focused world.
Tim Myrick – Orientation Theater
Artist Tim Myrick has been creating art since childhood and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art. After more than 25 years as a creative director, Myrick returned his full attention to his art following a kidney transplant in 2022, finding renewed inspiration and purpose in his studio practice. His watercolor paintings draw on his lifelong love of nature, gardening, landscaping and bonsai, capturing the warmth, complexity and mood of the natural world. Through Immersed in Nature, Myrick invites viewers to experience nature through his unique lens and storytelling in watercolor.
Jeff Suntala – Eppig Gallery
Greater Cleveland watercolorist and retired illustrator Jeff Suntala returned to watercolor after a 45-year career in traditional and digital art and now focuses primarily on plein air painting. His collection Cleveland Plein Air Watercolors: Paintings of the Cultural Gardens and University Circle highlights the beauty and character of Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens and University Circle, with paintings created on location and occasional studio touchups. Working directly from the landscape, Suntala captures the changing light, weather and atmosphere of each scene through the unique qualities of watercolor. His work offers an intimate, on-site perspective of some of Cleveland’s most recognizable cultural and natural spaces.
