In celebration of National Public Gardens Day, join us for Earth Matters to Smithsonian Gardens – Garden Fest 2013!  This year’s Garden Fest is inspired by the National Museum of African Art’s exhibition, Earth Matters:  Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa opening on Earth Day, April 22, 2013 which explores the relationships between African artists and the earth.

At Earth Matters to Smithsonian Gardens – Garden Fest 2013!, visitors of all ages can participate in fun and lively activities focused on interacting with the earth.  Help create an ephemeral land art installation with materials from the many Smithsonian Gardens with artist Emily C-D, listen to live music, make a seed bomb, journey on an ancient expedition with the help of petrified wood, fossils, amber, and gardens tools, or dance Zumba! 

STAGE SCHEDULE
11:00 am:      Welcome by Barbara Faust
11:05 am:       Tap Dancing with Just Tap
11:30 am:       Remarks from Dr. Cole (director African Art)
11:45 am:       Artist talk in the Garden:  Talk to South African artist Ledelle Moe whose piece, Land/Displacement is in front of the NMfAA
12:30 pm:       ZUMBA!  With HIPS Fitness
1:30 pm:         Pluto’s Secret, read by by author Margaret Weitekamp and illustrator Diane Kidd
2:00 pm:         Live drumming and dancing and singing, Garden Festival style with Farafina Kan
2:45 pm:         Live interactive drumming lesson with Djembefola Mahiri Fadjimba Keita
3:30 pm:         ASA! a low impact high energy modern African based dance aerobics workout
4:00 pm:         African Dance workshop with Cheick
5:30 pm:         Music by Cheick Hamala Diabate, 2007 Grammy Nominee for Best Traditional World Music

Smithsonian Gardens will also hold a plant container design contest, host a photo shoot for our Shutter-Bug Collection on Pinterest, and offer informal workshops on composting.  There will be demonstrations highlighting the connection between Smithsonian Gardens’ irrigation plan and the Smithsonian weather station, and learn about the many tomato varieties that are grown in Smithsonian Gardens’ Victory Garden plus many other activities! 

Stop by during your lunch break or after work to hear great live music, for a snack or drink at the Castle Café (featuring a special garden menu for the event), view the Earth Matters exhibit in the gardens and at the National Museum of African Art - both open until 7pm - and have some fun in the garden at Garden Fest!

More about the exhibit at the NMfAA visit Earth Matters, Land as Materials and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa.

What is Garden Fest?

The idea for Garden Fest was sown in 2006 and has grown into an annual all day family-friendly event presented by the Smithsonian Gardens (SG) at the Smithsonian Institution. The purpose of Garden Fest is to highlight each of the Smithsonian gardens and connect people to plants through educational demonstrations and engaging hands-on activities. Demonstrations focus on topics such as floriculture, landscape and container design, greenhouse production, garden history, and environmental stewardship and conservation. Garden Fest takes place each year in the Enid A. Haupt Garden during late spring.