NYBG’s beloved Family Garden Picnic returns on Sunday, September 27, with organic gardening activities, delicious refreshments, and live cooking demonstrations for the whole family. This annual event benefits the Edible Academy at an afternoon of outdoor exploration and celebration in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, the centerpiece of the planned state-of-the-art facility that will become the hub of the expanded organic vegetable gardening program at NYBG.
NYBG has been a leader in organic vegetable gardening education for nearly 60 years. Become a part of this long-standing tradition by bringing the whole family for an exciting culinary adventure, live music, crafts, and a delicious picnic. Special guest Chef Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew, will present a live cooking demonstration for guests. Hall will be joined by Chefs Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge and Anthony Sasso of Casa Mono, two culinary talents from Mario Batali’s acclaimed restaurants. Click through for photos from last year’s Family Garden Picnic!
It’s a veritable ice box out there right now, but you’d never know it inside our tropical Conservatory. Tickets are still available for both of NYBG’s Valentine’s Day Experiences from Priceless New York—a romantic evening of champagne and tropical plants for adults, and a fun-filled daytime chocolate workshop for kids—so if you’re still making plans for tomorrow, plan your visit to the Garden!
Monday, February 16, is Presidents’ Day, and the Garden will be open for regular hours, making this one a long weekend with plenty of opportunities for exciting activities. Come enjoy the day off at NYBG and join us for the start of Carla Hall’s Culinary Kids Week with a special appearance by the celebrity chef herself, who will lead a live cooking demonstration to kick of this weeklong family-friendly food festival.
NYBG is ready for the extended holiday weekend, and I’m sure you are too, so click through for details on all of our special programs and activities.
The Garden will be open for regular hours on Monday, February 16, for Presidents’ Day—but that’s just the beginning! On that same day, NYBG is thrilled to welcome Carla Hall, celebrity chef, co-host of ABC’s The Chew, and NYBG Edible Academy Committee Member, for a live cooking demonstration at 12:30 p.m. to kick off Carla Hall’s Culinary Kids Week! This family-friendly food festival invites kids to explore the relationships between plants, farms, and their favorite foods through a full schedule of programs and activities.
The rest of the week includes daily cooking demonstrations at 1 p.m. by a series of special guests preparing their favorite recipes. Visiting chefs will include Kate Gardner; Stacey Antine, HealthBarn USA; David Mawhinney, Haven’s Kitchen; George Edwards, Garden-to-Cafe; Matt Abdoo, Del Posto; and Alicia Walter, Vetri Ristorante.
The Kids Kitchen Corner and ongoing Activity Stations—featuring Big Apple Edibles, the Hudson Valley Seed Library, and more—fill the Conservatory Tent. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory hosts a Tropical Treasure Hunt that leads kids through the plants included in Wild Medicine in the Tropics. Kids can even participate in preparing their own healthy snack to take home at daily Culinary Workshops at 11 a.m., and 12 and 2 p.m. (first-come, first-served registration), with different instructors each day from the Edible Academy, HealthBarn USA, Growing Chefs, Kendall Holmes, Butter Beans, and Michelle Warner.
Kick off thew new season and support the Edible Academy with food, live music, beer and wine talks, and even a live cooking demonstration with the one and only Chef Mario Batali!
On September 27 and 28 the Garden will host autumnal activities for the whole family at the Harvest Festival. Unwind with two full days of live music from such hit acts as Miss Tess and the Talkbacks, and Roosevelt Dime. Peruse the samples and offerings available for purchase at our Harvest Market, including live talks from featured purveyors. The Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden will host cooking demonstrations and family activities where kids can learn about the importance of pollinators. Read on for the details on Mario Batali’s special appearance!