Upcoming Events
The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park is a place for lifelong learning. Our programming includes speakers, presentations, demonstrations, “make & take” classes, and so much more! We are always adding new events to the calendar. Please check back often!
Most programs, classes, and events at The Botanic Garden are discounted for members. Not a member yet? Join online here!
Registration for our programs through Eventbrite is easy. Your reservation will be available from your email confirmation or order history –there is no need to print your ticket. For free events, registering via Eventbrite helps us plan for your attendance.
Friday, June 5th, 2026: 5:00pm-6:30pm
BYOC: Designing Containers for Sun
Discover which plants thrive in sunny areas and design your own take-home container.
Kick off the growing season with color, creativity, and sunshine!
Join Matthew Ross, Executive Director of The Botanic Garden, for a fun and informative evening focused on designing vibrant containers for sunny spots. The workshop begins with a quick and inspiring look at container garden styles from around the world. Then, roll up your sleeves and head to the pavilion to create your own sunny container masterpiece using a variety of annuals and perennials.
BYOC – Bring Your Own Container
Bring your own container with an opening of 18” or less and a depth of 24” or less.
What’s Included:
-A beautiful selection of sun-loving plants
-Potting soil
-Fertilizer
-A take-home care sheet
-Expert guidance and plenty of inspiration.
Whether you’re refreshing your porch or adding flair to your patio, you’ll leave with a custom container full of summer-ready color! Spots are limited—reserve yours today!
Friday, June 5th, 2026: 7:00pm-8:30pm
BYOC: Designing Containers for Shade
Discover which plants thrive in shady areas and design your own take-home container using beautiful, low-light-loving varieties.
Have a shady porch or a tricky garden corner that needs some life? Join Matthew Ross, Executive Director of The Botanic Garden, for a hands-on workshop all about designing beautiful containers for those low-light spots.
You’ll explore creative ways to combine shade-loving annuals, perennials, and even a few tropicals—focusing on texture, foliage, and contrast where flowers may be few. After an inspiring discussion, head to the pavilion to create your own custom container garden.
BYOC – Bring Your Own Container!
Please bring a container with an opening of 18” or less and a depth of 24” or less.
We’ll supply everything else:
- A variety of shade-loving plants
- Potting soil
- Fertilizer
- A care sheet to help your arrangement thrive
Whether you’re refreshing your porch or adding personality to a shady nook, you’ll leave with a beautiful, personalized container and the confidence to do more.
Spaces are limited—reserve your spot today!
Sunday, June 7th, 2026: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Celebrating the Arts and Cultures of America: A Fairy House Competition
• Kids can make their own fairy wand
• Guests are welcome to enjoy lemonade and a sweet treat in the pavilion!
• Take a photo at our photo booth station in the Pavilion
• Tour the other gardens
Crafted by Hand: Celebrating the Arts & Cultures of America
Sunday, June 14th, 2026: 10am-4pm
Wellness Day 2026
Join us on Sunday, June 14th for our Free Wellness Day! Improve your overall wellbeing and your connection to nature through an inspiring day of wellness-inspired activities and programs at The Botanic Garden. From meditative arts to herbal teas to the therapeutic benefits of nature, you’re sure to discover something new and leave feeling refreshed and full of healthful vitality.
FREE SESSIONS INCLUDE:
* Herbal Tea Basics *Tour of Healing Garden * Labyrinth Walk* Qigong * Soul Stirring Soundscapes* and more!
Sunday, June 14th, 2026: 4pm-7pm
Create Your Own Bonsai
Have you ever wondered how bonsai are created? Stick around after Wellness Day for an interactive, hands-on course designed for adults, or kids with adult supervision, interested in exploring the incredible art and fascinating science of bonsai. Try something new and expand your understanding of the botanical world!
You’ll create your own bonsai starter, with all tools and instructions provided. Rod and Janet Kivell from the Sakura Bonsai Society will guide you step-by-step as you craft your very own mini masterpiece.
Instructor Bio:
This class will be led by Rod and Janet Kivell, members of the Sakura Bonsai Society. The Society was founded in 1990 by Traverse City local Eunice Corp, who discovered her passion for bonsai while living in Hawaii. Today, the group continues to share her enthusiasm and dedication for this beautiful and intricate art form.
Sunday, June 21st, 2026: 6pm-8pm
Songs for the Earth Curious
Join us for a concert by Stonefruit Collective in the new Debra J Edson Family Education Center.
Relax and experience the sweet melodies of the earth through the lens of local artists at The Botanic Garden.
Celebrate our favorite planet with grooves for the atmosphere, serenades for the soil, and hymns for the open water. These original Americana tunes, played by a seven-piece band, remind us to connect with the flora and fauna of this unique and life-sustaining space rock.
Join us for an evening of great music, beautiful blooms, and a historic barn as we share the musical talents of Stonefruit Collective. The concert will be held inside the new Debra J. Edson Family Education Center, and we highly recommend walking the gardens either before or after the performance.
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026: 2pm-5pm & Wednesday, June 24th, 2026: 9am-12pm
Tissue Culture Workshop (TWO DAYS)
From initialization to actualization. A TWO-DAY workshop hosted by Rebel Cultures.
About this workshop
Plants hold remarkable regenerative potential even when seeds aren’t available, and tissue culture is the science of unlocking it. In this two-day hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to initiate, propagate, and acclimatize plants entirely outside the soil, using the same laboratory techniques employed by botanical researchers, conservation programs, and specialty nurseries worldwide.
What you’ll learn
Across two focused sessions, you’ll gain a working understanding of the full tissue culture cycle: how to sterilize and prepare plant material, how to design and mix growth media, and how to transfer cultures from the lab vessel to the living world. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with your own plants in hand and the confidence to continue the process at home.
Who should register
This workshop is designed for curious, motivated learners with no laboratory background required. It’s a great fit for:
- Home gardeners and plant collectors eager to propagate rare or favorite specimens
- Horticulture students looking for real-world lab experience
- Botanical enthusiasts interested in conservation and plant science
- Small-scale growers exploring new propagation methods
Why this workshop
Tissue culture has long been the domain of university labs and commercial operations. This workshop brings that knowledge into an accessible, welcoming setting — with expert instruction from Rebel Cultures, real materials, and take-home plants so the learning doesn’t stop when the session ends.
Wednesday, June 24th, 2026: 5pm-7pm
Three Seasons Art Reception
The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City will host the exhibit, The Garden Palette this summer in its Three Season Gallery.
Two artists, Carol C. Spaulding and Joan Richmond, will display paintings, prints and collages from June 22 through August 19, 2026. Guests are invited to meet the artists at a reception on Wednesday, June 24, from 5 – 7 pm.
The Garden Palette images will reflect the flora and color of the gardens. Artist Carol C Spaulding states, “flowers…offer some of my favorite things: a variety of color, lyrical movement, abstract shapes and uplifting subject matter.”