for immediate release

Outdoor Fall Fun For Families

Chicago Botanic Garden, September through November

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213, direct
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (Aug. 20, 2009) — Early fall is a glorious time for families to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden. The trees have started to change from their usual summer green to amazing autumn shades of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows. Giant containers overflowing with midwestern fall favorites including chrysanthemums, asters, and velvety pansies. The fall flowers are designed to enhance the flowers still in bloom, highlighting each of the individual gardens.

Beginning in September, the Garden has a multitude of family programs on weekdays and weekends that feature autumn-inspired, hands-on activities.

Programs include:

· Little Diggers – Select Weekday Mornings, September 2009 through March 2010
Discover the wonder of plants and nature with fun hands-on activities especially designed for 2- to 3-year-olds in this seven-class program. Classes meet once a month from 9 to 10 a.m. or 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Adults must accompany children. Cost for each four-class series is $64; Garden Plus members pay $56. Registration is required. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/littlediggers or call (847) 835-8363 for more information.

· Scout Badge Programs – Weekday Afternoons and Saturdays, September 2009 through May 2010
Scouts work toward badge requirements after school from 3 to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays all year-round. Program offerings vary with seasons. Badge programs are designed for scout groups of 10 to 25. Adults must accompany children. Cost per student is $10 for 6- to 10-year-olds and $15 for 11- to 12-year-olds. Registration is required. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/scouts or call (847) 835-8239 for more information.

· Nature Nights – Saturday, September 12 and October 10

Bring a picnic dinner and spend an evening in the Garden with your family. Designed for families with children ages 4 through 10, Nature Nights lets families explore the mysteries of nature at night. Hours are 5 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $23; Garden members pay $20. Registration is required. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/naturenights or call (847) 835-6826 for more information.

· Harvest Festival – Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4

The Harvest Festival features a marketplace in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local and regional vendors will be on hand selling a wide variety of items. Family activities such as a straw bale maze and leaf rubbings will be available. Chef demonstrations are at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.

· Sukkot Family Activities – Sunday, October 4

In honor of the Jewish harvest holiday Sukkot, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Chicago North Shore Section, builds a sukkah in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden each year. The branch-covered booth is decorated with fall fruits and vegetables. Families participate in arts and crafts activities to help decorate the sukkah from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 4. The sukkah will be on display Saturday, October 3, through Thursday, October 8.

· Scouts Seasonal Workshops: Autumn Adventure – Saturday, October 17

Scouts learn about trees and the fall leaves changing color, and explore life in the woods from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Make a tree identification guide and put it to work in McDonald Woods. Scouts become nature detectives and see what other clues are used to identify native trees. Cost per student is $12. Registration is required. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/scouts or call (847) 835-8239 for more information.

· Farmers’ Market – First and Third Sundays through October 18
Local and organic farmers and the Chicago Botanic Garden's Green Youth Farm will sell fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and herbs to the public outside the Visitor Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first and third Sunday of every month from June through October. Visitors can purchase a special reusable market bag to carry their purchases from the market.

· HallowFest: A Garden of Good...And Evil! – Friday through Sunday, October 23 – 25
Celebrate Halloween at the Chicago Botanic Garden from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on October 23 and 24, and 3 to 5:30 p.m. on October 25. Visitors participate in Halloween-inspired activities at the Regenstein Center. There will be live, family friendly performances on all three days. Have your fortune told or take a 15-minute trip on the Eerie Express. Tickets go on sale for Garden Plus, Director’s Circle, and President’s Circle members for $14 on Wednesday, September 9. Ticket sales open to the public on Thursday, September 24, and are $16.

· Trains, Tricks & Treats – Saturday, October 24, through Sunday, October 25

Celebrate Halloween and the end of the season for the Model Railroad Garden, which closes on October 25. The Model Railroad Garden is decorated with spider webs, spiders, ghosts, goblins, and pumpkins, as well as seasonal plant materials. Visitors are encouraged to come in costume. Kids take part in a planting activity. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3 to 12. Members save $1.

· Spooky Pooch Parade – Saturday, October 31
The Chicago Botanic Garden is making a fun event even better! The ever-popular Reindog Parade, typically held in December, is being moved to October as a fall parade of dogs in Halloween costumes. Cleverly costumed canines march the parade route to celebrate the season. Activities include the costume contest, judging, and an awards ceremony. Hours are from 1 to 3 p.m. Registration prices are $14 in advance and $19 at the door. Registration forms, complete with the dog-gone rules, will be available at the Information Desk at the Visitor Center, or online www.chicagobotanic.org/dog. Parade spectators pay for parking only; parking is free for Garden members.

Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. For more information about any of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s programs and events, call (847) 835-5440, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.