The annual Fall Festival takes place on October 19th in the Gardens of Texas A&M University

A “pumpkin season” awaits visitors of all ages at the Fall Festival on October 19 in the gardens of Texas A&M University. Celebration of Fall includes fall-inspired crafts and educational activities about fall creatures, crops and more.

The free event is open to the community and will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Leach Teaching Gardens, 556 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station. Access to The Gardens is conveniently scheduled on an away football game day and should be easy for a family friendly outing.

Autumn creatures and crops

Some of the festival's activities will reflect fall holiday and harvest themes.

“We have a great range of activities for visitors to learn about creatures that people associate with the season, as well as agricultural crops and fall vegetables,” said Kat Grier, education programs and outreach coordinator at The Gardens.

“We will host a spider craft, an educational exhibit about bats, an ornamental corn-inspired craft, a pumpkin exhibit, an interactive demonstration on the journey of cotton from field to yarn and much more,” Grier said. “This time of year is also a great time to see monarch butterflies making their way through the gardens in the fall.”

The Fall Festival is one of The Garden's most popular events each year, said Michael Arnold, Ph.D., director of The Gardens and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences.

“The campus and community organizations that offer engaging, educational activities attract many first-time and repeat visitors who want to enjoy our beautiful gardens,” Arnold said. “The Leach Teaching Gardens is one of the premier teaching gardens in the country, with more than 17 acres of outdoor teaching and demonstration space.”

Educational demonstrations include a bat exhibit by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a foliage exploration by the Texas A&M Forest Service, baby turkeys by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists in the Department of Poultry Science, and demonstrations on how cotton is ginned and manufactured threaded by the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Cotton Improvement Lab and the Brazos Valley Spinners and Weavers Guild.

Other speakers include the Brazos County Master Gardeners, Junior Master Gardeners and the Brazos Valley Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists, as well as AgriLife Extension's A&M Garden Club.

There is more to see on your garden walk

Attendees can enjoy refreshments in the pavilion, stories from the Texas A&M University Libraries, the pumpkin display on The Gardens photo wall, a walk through the pumpkin tunnel and a dance performance by the student dance group Maroon Prestige at the Mexican Heritage Garden.

Visitors are encouraged to share photos from the festival using the hashtag #TAMUGardens.

A sensor-free zone/quiet zone will be available during the festival for anyone who desires or needs a quieter environment at any point during the event.

Visitors can park for free in parking lots 97 or 100c. For more information about parking, directions and a map, visit the Fall Festival website.

So that the fun continues

If you can't attend, here are suggestions for celebrating fall in The Gardens:

• Print out a fall-themed coloring page to enjoy coloring among the pumpkins.
• Download a fall scavenger hunt and explore the gardens.
• Bring your camera for photos in front of the pumpkin wall any time during October.
• Create one of these delicious fall recipes from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service's Dinner Tonight program: