Tickets are on sale now for the Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival June 7-8 at Point Defiance Park and extending into the Rose Garden, Japanese Garden and Pagoda. Visitors will enjoy a weekend surrounded by color as they tour the park’s famous gardens, meet some of the Northwest’s best known horticultural experts, create works of botanical art to take home and more.
The festival is free to attend with additional ticketed opportunities available including:
- Guided tours of the Rose and Japanese gardens ($20)
- Paint & Sip sessions ($50)
- Make & Take projects ($85)
- Made in the Shade: How to Garden on the Dark Side with Marianne Binetti
- Terrarium Workshop with Scott McSwain
- The Art of Pot-et-Fleur with Teresa Rao
- Succulent Wreath with Sarah Smith
Attendees can also enjoy more than a dozen self-guided experiences through eight permanent gardens, fantastic displays created exclusively for this festival, live music and a vendor area featuring nearly 100 local artisans, businesses, farms, nurseries and food options.
Northwest gardening expert Ciscoe Morris will be returning as Saturday’s keynote speaker. Bryon Jones, Parks Tacoma’s horticulturist for the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, will appear on Sunday. The lecture series will be open to all this year with talks on:
- Beyond the Backbone: Pacific NW Perennials for Resilient Gardens by Anna Thurston
- The History of the Hedgerow: Wild plants as Food, Medicine, and Habitat by Madrone McCarthy and Teresa McKee of Hedgerow Herb Co.
- Happier Houseplants by Sarah Brackman of Girl Run Farm
- Dreamy English Gardens by Justin Henderson
Local wines and beers will be featured in the Rose Garden with tasting packages, starting at $33, available all day throughout the weekend or gather with friends after hours on Saturday for the 21+ only Happy Hour with live music. Bottles will be available for sale on site and proceeds from both bottle sales and tasting packages will directly benefit the Fort Nisqually Foundation.
Vendor applications are open now through April 30 for concessions and May 20 for retail. A 10’x10’ booth begins at $325 with discounted rates available for nonprofit and government agencies.
Find more information and to purchase tickets online at PtDefianceGardenFest.org.
