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One Saturday a month | 9 a.m. - Noon
Join us on Saturday morning to listen to storybook readings and flex your creative muscles! Young children will have a blast interacting with other kids, making arts and crafts, and listening to stories. Little ones also receive a book to take home with them. Every half hour, we switch between stories and crafts to keep young children interested and engaged. Best suited for children ages 3-8, but children of all ages are welcome! Admission is free. No registration is required.
2022-2023 Dates
February 5-10, 2023
Th Icon Workshop is a thoughtful and meditative week-long retreat focusing on traditional painting techniques that date back 2,000 years. The workshop is led by trained Iconographers in the Ione Burden Conference Center. No artistic skill or previous painting experience is required, and all materials are provided by Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. You are also welcome to bring your own brushes, Ott light, or wet pallet if you prefer. Coffee and lunch are provided daily.
Email dianawells1548@gmail.com for more information.
February 11, 2023 | 1 - 4 p.m.
February 12, 2023 | 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Shop from over one hundred camellia selections for your garden or take a look through the exhibit of award-winning camellias grown by the Baton Rouge Camellia Society and by gardeners like you! Many of these camellias have been meticulously propagated from the expansive camellia collections at the Botanic Gardens. The Camellia Society will also offer planting and management advice, a grafting demonstration and a waxing demonstration. The Camellia Show will be at the Rural Life Museum, and the Sale will be at the Botanic Gardens. Signage will guide guests to the sale area on the day of the event.
The sale will offer 150 different varieties of camellias. The cost of plants ranges from $20 to $30. Cards,cash and checks are all accepted forms of payment.
One Saturday a month | 7 - 9 a.m.
Did you know 320 species of birds have been recorded in and around Burden, including common species, such as northern mockingbirds and ruby-throated hummingbirds, seven different woodpeckers, waterfowl and wading birds, and a variety of resident migratory songbirds?
Grab your birding gear and join us bright and early to catch a glimpse of some of these species on a two-hour guided tour led by different birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden.
Admission is $10. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 15 guests. Register here.
2023 Winter/Spring dates:
February 25, 2023 | 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Herb Day is the perfect place to start an herb garden or refresh one you've already established! At Herb Day you'll find thousands of healthy herbs and All America Selections vegetable plants as well as local vendors selling their wares and food trucks selling delicious fare. The Herb Society will also host DIY crafts and educational sessions on native medicinal plants, herbal container gardens and a historical and social overview of herbs.
Herb Day is an educational outdoor gardening event and plant sale hosted by the Baton Rouge Unit of the Herb Society of America.
March 25, 2023 | 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Join us for the biggest plant sale of the year! Shop from thousands of homegrown perennials and annuals specifically selected by the East Baton Rouge Master Gardeners for success in your garden. The EBR Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale raises money to support the educational activities provided by Master Gardeners and the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens.
April 20, 2023 | 6 - 9 p.m.
Gourmet in the Garden is a foodie's dream!
Bring your food-loving friends to savor dishes and cocktails from your favorite Baton Rouge chefs and mixologists. After you've tried them all, vote for your favorite in the People's Choice Awards!
Tickets are currently $75 per person. All food and drink is included in the cost of the ticket.
All proceeds from this event go towards education programs at the Botanic Gardens and the Louisiana Culinary Institute Foundation.
May 2023
Join the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and the American Public Gardens Association along with over 500 public gardens across America in celebrating Go Public Gardens Days. We have a weekend full of fun activities for everyone!
Go Public Gardens is an ongoing, evergreen initiative of the American Public Gardens Association meant to drive the public to visit, value, and volunteer at public gardens in their area and when they travel.
July 2023
Baton Rouge Orchid Society's Annual Show & Sale offers stunning visual displays from multiple Orchid Societies across the Gulf Coast, affordable sale plants from five local vendors, expert growing advice, and even the chance to win one of several raffle plants! This event is free and open to the public.
October 7, 14, 21, 28
Join us as we open our fields and crank up our tractors to usher in the Fall season with some crazy mazy outdoor fun.
November 2023
It's not Christmas in Louisiana without Botanic Gardens Poinsettias! Over 20 varieties of locally-grown Poinsettias will be on display and available for sale at the Botanic Gardens greenhouse. The botanic gardens evaluates Poinsettia varieties developed by breeders worldwide and they will be exclusively sold at the annual show and sale. A limited quantity of each variety are available. Arrive on time so you don't miss out on these rare varieties of Poinsettias!
October 28, 2023 | 6 - 9 p.m.
Grab your costumes, glow sticks, and flash lights and head on over Night Maze. At our family-friendly Night Maze you can take a stroll through the corn maze, roast marshmallows by the bonfire, climb the hay mountain, go for a "swim" in the corn crib, play awesome games, and dance to live music!
TBA 2023
The Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden invite you to ramble through the Gardens!
Stroll through the gardens as you savor gourmet hors d'oeuvres and desserts, fine wines and specialty cocktails. Enjoy live music, a wine toss, and a fabulous surprise raffle.
January 20, 2024
We partner with Baton Rouge Green to bring you the best Arbor Day celebration ever! Join us for tree climbing with Bofinger's Tree Service, a scavenger hunt, ax throwing with the Timber Tigers, shopping with local vendors and even a chance to meet Smokey Bear (don't worry, he's not a real bear). Plant your very own tree in the Burden Woods and track its growth using GPS coordinates! The trees you plant help reforest the Burden Woods after previous hurricane seasons. Baton Rouge Green will host their annual tree giveaway in conjunction with Arbor Day.