The Illinois State University Horticulture Center will hold the Autumnal Festival from September 10-11 with the theme “Plant Curiosities: Uncovering the hidden wonders of the botanical world.”
The event, an annual fundraiser for the center, will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. September 10, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. September 11. The Horticulture Center is located on West Raab Road in Normal across from the Corn Crib.
Tickets are $10 for ages 13 and older, $5 for ages 3-12, and free for ages 2 and under. Find tickets here.
Activities will include rotten fruit throwing, crafts for sale, gourd spinning, a hayrack ride, a gourd hunt at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and a Plant Curiosity Tour by Jessica Chambers at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Other attractions:
• Fairy Ring Twig Sculptures by Todd Kingery
• Glass Treasure Hunt by Joey Dullard
• Silent Auction
• Curiosity Cabin
• Music, ISU Student Art Showcase, Epigraph by Professor Melissa Oresky
• New Sculptures added in the Pinetum, Prairie Grove, Shade Garden, and the Children’s Garden
Exhibitors:
• Prairie Tours with University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalists
• Herb Sensory Garden with University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners
• Central Illinois Beekeepers
• Normal Public Library
• Sibley Honey
• Assistant Professor Ruth K. Burke with her team of oxen, Clark and Sparky
• Children’s Garden Curiosities with Bloomington-Normal Garden Club
• The Curiosity of Capsaicin with Candee and Gabe Colbeck
• Milkweeds and Monarchs with University of Illinois Extension
For more information, contact Jessica Chambers at Horticulture@IllinoisState.edu or (309) 438-3496.
