Cleveland Botanical Garden Welcomes the Season with Fall Programs and Activities
September 10, 2025
(CLEVELAND) September 10, 2025 – Fall is almost here, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden will be all decked out with autumn pumpkins, plant displays and plenty of colorful fall foliage. The official start of the fall season is Monday, September 22. The Botanical Garden has fun fall activities for all ages throughout September and October including unique classes, new adult-only events, the iconic Boo-tanical Bash, specialty garden shows, and so much more. Purchase tickets at holdenfg.org.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOLDEN FORESTS & GARDENS
EVENTS & EXPERIENCES
CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN GETS DRESSED UP FOR FALL
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
Beginning Tuesday, September 23, 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.
BOOKS & BLOOMS BOTANICAL BOOK FAIR
Saturday, September 20 from 6 – 9 p.m. & Sunday, September 21 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Explore a diverse array of book vendors alongside other vendors offering plant-related merchandise, creating a unique atmosphere that celebrates both reading and botanical beauty. Meet with local & regional authors like Ciara Hartford, Fern Haught, Samantha Jo, DiAndra Liccardo and Renae Bolton
- Saturday, September 20: Enjoy after-hours access to our lush gardens as you meet local and regional authors, browse unique vendors, and take part in creative writing activities. Bring a book to swap and discover a new favorite, or simply soak in the atmosphere of books, blooms, and community connection. Cost $10 per member, $20 per nonmember. Books & Blooms Registration.
- Sunday, September 21: Open to all bookworms and wordsmiths. Meet with local authors and craft vendors, enjoy a board game café, creative writing activities, a community book swap, and stop by the kids’ story time at 1 p.m. Cost: included with admission.
Join us on Friday, October 3 from 4 – 9 p.m. for the first ever Renaissance Night! 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 an evening of fun, flavor, and a touch of old-world charm. Cost: $30 per member, $35 per nonmember. Renaissance Night Registration.
THE WESTERN RESERVE HERB SOCIETY HERB FAIR
Join us on Saturday, October 11 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for the 78th Western Reserve Herb Society Herb Fair at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Check out the amazing selection of hand-crafted herbal items including herbal blends, jams and jellies, herbal teas, wreaths, pressed flower note cards, potpourri, baked goods, and our creative recycling finds. Included with admission.
New this year! On Friday, October 24, from 7 – 11 p.m., come dressed to impress for this adults-only costume party and explore what the night has in store. Guests can discover their future with tarot readings by Forest Empress, encounter the creepy creatures that call our Glasshouse home, shop unique finds from local vendors, and dance the night away. Tickets are $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Botanical Garden After Dark tickets.
BOO-TANICAL BASH
On Saturday, October 25 from 6 – 9 p.m., little wizards and witches will meander their way from the seasonally decorated Geis Terrace to the Kitchen Garden gathering treats along the way. Ghoulish games, activities and a creature feature will await them. Your kiddos can dance their hearts out to tunes provided by DJ Marc Majers. Registration required. Tickets are $30 per nonmember child, $25 per nonmember adult, $20 per member adult, $25 per member child and $5 for children 2 & under. Boo-tanical Bash tickets.
On Sunday, October 26, the Botanical Garden will host a sensory-friendly experience that invites all visitors to enjoy the gardens with a calmer atmosphere. To create this experience, the Garden will turn off music, pause the waterfall in the Costa Rica biome, and ensure that flashing or color-changing lights are either turned off or set to a single color and brightness. Included with general admission.
NEW! SPICE CATERING CO. TAKES OVER DINING EXPERINCE
Spice Catering Co. now brings a new dining and catering experience to the Cleveland Botanical Garden. This fall, Spice is serving up fresh, seasonal food and drinks in a temporary café space inside the main Ellipse while the Botanical Garden’s permanent café is under construction. This November, visitors can expect a newly-renovated Garden Café featuring a fresh take on grab-and-go dining with locally sourced ingredients and flavors of the season. We are now accepting Spice catered bookings for fall 2025 and beyond. Whether planning a wedding, corporate retreat, or community gathering, guests can reserve their space now to experience the garden’s breathtaking seasonal landscapes and top-tier event services.
ARTWORK ON DISPLAY AUGUST 30 – OCTOBER 31
AMIE SELL – ORIENTATION THEATRE
Amie Sell creates art that reminds humans that we are nature and nature is us. Through sculpture, ceramics, and collage they create work that helps us to recall the inner wisdom of natural history and the cosmos that lies within all of us. Using a variety of styles and materials, they abstractly and absurdly create art that reveals the power of transformation and interconnection between the physical world and internal emotional landscapes.
ALVARO ALEJANDRO LOPEZ – ORIENTATION THEATRE
Álvaro Alejandro López is a self-taught photographer from Mexico City, using photography to explore the relationships between humans and trees, both physically and spiritually. On display are close-up photographs of trees taken around Mexico City during the pandemic, paired with poems written by the artist meant to highlight the diversity and personality of each individual specimen.
JEN SOWDERS – ELLIPSE
Jennifer’s “Trails of Immersion” began as escapism from the dark days of Covid Lockdowns. Discovering watercolor on Yupo (a synthetic paper); and in parallel, the use of palette knives with thick acrylic paint for the first time, became two very different ways of painting lush and immersive landscapes from all her hiking references.
JANE SMALL – GUREN GALLERY
“Fairy Tales: A Floral Fantasy” is Jane’s artistic take on the alchemy of centuries-old fairy tales and the haunting beauty of flowers from the natural world. The photographic series grew from a childhood memory of her mother creating a magical “Cinderella” doll out of the blooms of the Hollyhock plant. Today, Jane has attempted to recreate that magic by imagining the flowers that she loves in a variety of fairy tale settings. All the photos are taken in a single shot in miniature theatrical sets.
TREASURES OF OUR LOCAL WATERSHEDS: A JURIED EXHIBIT OF QUILTS – EPPIG GALLERY
The artworks in this exhibition offer a thoughtful and nuanced reflection on the vital role of watersheds within our ecological systems. Each artist was invited to engage with the unique characteristics of their local watershed—its rhythms, histories, and vulnerabilities—and to respond through visual inquiry. The resulting 18 works form a compelling dialogue around environmental stewardship, offering insight into the urgent challenges posed by climate change while also celebrating the resilience of natural systems
SAVE THE DATE
FROST: AN ICE-CAPPED GARDEN EXPERIENCE
Year three of Northeast Ohio’s most exciting winter show, Frost at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, is just around the corner. Step into a season spun from storybooks and starlight. Frost is a shimmering, music-filled, gingerbread-scented celebration of winter’s magic. Wander glowing gardens. Greet mystical animal friends. Lose yourself in lights, laughter, and the warmth of holiday wonder. Beloved traditions return like the Gingerbread Competition, Garden Club Trees & Wreaths and family favorites like Krampus Night, and Storytime with Santa.
CLASSES
- Hand-Carved Botanical Stamps: Saturday, October 4 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Join us for a beginner-friendly class where we will learn to carve stamps inspired by nature at Cleveland Botanical Garden, from flora, to fauna, to fungi! During the class, you’ll learn the tools and tricks of the trade and get to work on creating your own stamp. All supplies and instruction are provided. Cost: $48 per member, $53 per nonmember. Hand-Carved Botanical Stamps Registration.
- Botanical Painting & Drawing: On Tuesdays starting October 7 through November 4 from 2 –4:30 p.m., learn composition skills and techniques of botanical art including line, form, shading, and layering using inspiration from the natural world. This class welcomes all levels of experience and mediums. The class will be held in person at Cleveland Botanical Garden and is a seven-week series. Registration required. Cost: $125 per member and $165 per nonmember. Botanical Painting & Drawing Registration.
The Cleveland Botanical Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Botanical Garden is closed on Mondays. Admission is $21 for adults, $15 for children ages 3 – 12 and free for Holden Forests & Gardens members.