Upcoming Events & Exhibitions

Below is a list of upcoming Garden events and exhibits. The Garden also has lots of great adult classes and children’s activities. Visit our calendar to see and search for more events.

Storytime
Fridays & Saturdays at 10 a.m.; January 17 through November 1, 2025
Gather with us for Storytime outside under the oaks in front of the Kelly Education Center each Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. Children can also participate in a craft or hands-on activity. (Weather permitting; indoor location is the Library).

Rich Soil
January 18 – March 9, 2025
Inspired by the movements and gestures of Alvin Ailey’s dance composition “Revelation”, Kristine Mays’ expression of the human form through wire pays honor to the ancestors — those that walked, lived and tended to this land.

Garden Ink: A Staff Tattoo Showcase
January, 31 – March 27, 2025 
Garden Ink brings together the stories behind the tattoos that adorn our staff members. In a city like Richmond—one of the most tattooed in America—this showcase celebrates the powerful connection between tattoo art and our community. This exhibition in the Lora M. Robins Library is a celebration of art, identity, and how personal expression is rooted in our surroundings.

Soul for Soil
January, 31 – March 27, 2025
“Soul for Soil” is an artistic exploration of the profound historical and spiritual connection between African American culture and the natural world. This exhibit delves into the deep-rooted relationship with the earth—one that is both ancestral and contemporary, shaped by resilience, creativity, and renewal. This exhibition is located in the Community Art Gallery in the Kelly Education Center and was curated by The Art Seen

Garden Ink
Saturday, February 8, 2025 (ticketed event for ages 18+)
Join us for an evening celebrating botanical tattoos with local artists and vendors. Explore stunning artwork, meet tattoo artists, and discover unique items. Enjoy drinks, small bites, and hear from local tattoo artists. 18+ only.

Winter Symposium & CVNLA Short Course
Wednesday, February 12 – Friday, February 14, 2025
Learn from a variety of experts! Explore the intricate relationships that exist between ecosystems, communities, and humankind, focusing on the importance of the reciprocal relationships between plants, animals, and humans. Learn how we, as gardeners and landscape professionals, can steward the land to support our natural ecosystems, foster biodiversity and build resiliency in our changing climate.

Great Backyard Bird Count
Monday, February 17, 2025
Enjoy this community science event that brings awareness to bird activity in the area through local partners, activities like a special Storytime with our Library, and self-guided experiences!

Virginia Orchid Society Show & Sale
Friday, February 28 – Sunday, March 2, 2025
Experience a weekend of orchids with the Virginia Orchid Society Show and Sale. Event admission is free.

Virginia Daffodil Society Show & Sale
Saturday, March 22 – Sunday, March 23, 2025
The Daffodil Show features hundreds of delightful prize-worthy daffodils and expert growers.

Homes & Habitats
Spring and Summer 2025
Explore the beauty and importance of interconnected environments through the eyes of multiple artists. Homes and habitats are where nature and community intertwine and every environment plays a vital role in sustenance for life. Welcome HOME!

Richmond African Violet Society Show & Sale
Friday, April 4 – Sunday, April 6, 2025
Interesting and unusual African violet varieties on display and for purchase (until supplies last)!

The Big Bloom
Friday, April 11, 2025
This fun and festive spring garden party kicks off our season of A Million Blooms. More details to come!

RVA Tropical and Exotic Plants Plant Swap
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Immerse yourself in a world of uncommon plants and plant products and discover the beauty of nature.

Mister G
Saturday, April 26, 2025
A brand new event at the Garden! More details to come.

Flowers After 5 Concert Series
Thursday nights; May–October, 2025
Listen to a diverse mix of live music throughout the season, featuring local and regional acts. The second and fourth Thursdays of each month are Fidos After 5 nights when leashed dogs are allowed.

Groovin’ in the Garden Concert Series
Select weekdays; May–October, 2025
National music acts perform throughout the summer and fall in the Cochrane Rose Garden, a spectacular setting!

Spring Plant Sale
Friday, May 2 – Saturday, May 3, 2025
More than 40 vendors selling plants ranging from well-known favorites to rare exotics and other garden-related items. Presented by Garden volunteers.

Central Virginia Iris Society Show & Sale
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Celebrate these unique spring blooms and purchase seeds for your own garden.

Richmond Rose Society Show
May 17 & 18, 2025
Enjoy displays of specimen roses and get advice from the rose experts.

Richmond Daylily Society Show & Sale
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Come see hundreds of unique daylilies at their finest during the Richmond Area Daylily Society (RADS) Show and Sale!

Juneteenth Free Community Day
June 19, 2025
Admission to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is FREE on Thursday, June 19 in honor of Juneteenth.

Fourth of July Free Community Day
July 42025
Garden admission is free on July 4! Celebrate by enjoying the gardens and feel free to wear red, white and blue and bring your decorated wagons and strollers.

Labor Day Free Community Day
September 1, 2025
Garden admission is free on Labor Day! We’re excited to be able to offer a day of relaxation and fun with 50 acres of gardens, beautiful flowers, woodland paths, and friendly people.

Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights
November 24, 2025 – January 4, 2026
A favorite holiday tradition featuring lights, decorations, model trains, holiday dinners, hot chocolate (for purchase); & more. The region’s ultimate holiday extravaganza!

Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights
November 18, 2024 – January 5, 2025
A favorite tradition featuring more than a million lights, botanical decorations, model trains, hot chocolate and s’mores (for purchase)! Advance tickets will be required and available online only. Tickets will be limited and have timed arrivals.

In Conversation with Rich Soil Artist Kristine Mays
January 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Attend a special talk with Kristine Mays, the artist behind the hit Rich Soil sculptural exhibit opening at the Garden on January 18. Ms. Mays will speak to the inspiration, meaning, and process behind creating the 29 life-size sculptures, and will be joined by Saajida Chohan, Director of Education and Visitor Experience at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, to discuss why Rich Soil is particularly important for Richmond. This event is free for Garden members and $8.00 for non-members, with tickets sold at the door. Attendance is also free for members of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

Seed Swap Day at the Garden
Saturday, January 25, 2025
The Garden is celebrating Seed Swap Day! Our seed library will be highlighted with a seed focused Storytime. There will also be a seed-related class in the afternoon, Cutting Gardens: Prep, Planning, and Seed Starting.

Our Garden is Growing

We’re expanding our Conservatory and gardens to offer exciting new guest experiences and programming. As a result, we will not have our Butterflies LIVE! exhibit in 2024 and 2025 while we expand the Conservatory to include a permanent butterfly house.

Learn More