EVENTS & PROGRAMS
FEATURED EVENTS
Photo by Beth Haubach
Flowering 5K
Sunday, March 23rd: 8:30 AM
Enjoy the National Arboretum’s beautiful spring blooms while running or walking the course. This race will take you past garden collections brightly colored with spring flowers, over tree-lined rolling hills, and along winding streams. All roads are closed to cars during this race to create a safe and secure event.
Free registration is available for the first 50 veterans who sign up. All FONA members, as well as active and reserve military members, can receive 20% off their registration. Email info@fona.org for these coupon codes.
Photo by the National Arboretum
38th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium
Saturday, March 29th: 9 AM – 4 PM
Learn from the experts and join the National Arboretum for the 38th annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium! Learn about supporting native pollinators, utilizing native plants in a historic garden, uses of preserved specimens, native plant trials, backyard stormwater management, and ethical foraging during this one-day event.
The suggested registration cost is $95 (or $76 for FONA members), but please pay what you can to attend starting at $50. We want this educational program to be accessible to as many people as possible.
Native Plant Sale
Saturday, March 29th: 8 AM – 1 PM
Our Native Plant Sale is held in conjunction with the National Arboretum’s Lahr Native Plant Symposium. The sale includes a small number of plant vendors (~3-5 vendors) from across the mid-Atlantic selling spring ephemerals and many other choice perennials and woody plants.
WASHINGTON YOUTH GARDEN
Washington Youth Garden (WYG) is a one-acre education garden at the National Arboretum and is a destination for garden-based education and nature play. It was originally established in 1971 to teach local elementary students horticulture and life skills.
Today, Washington Youth Garden is a welcoming and inviting place for the DC community to learn and grow together. WYG’s sensory garden, innovative growing techniques, and nature-explore classroom encourage visitors of all ages to engage with agriculture, farming, and environmental education. Thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables are grown in WYG each year, all of which are distributed to students and families in the DC community to fight food insecurity.
Visit the Garden
The garden is open to all Arboretum visitors and has parking nearby. Please follow our three garden agreements during your visit:
- Stay on the path
- Pick with permission
- Respect all living things
Garden Events
We host many events open to the public throughout the year, such as School Garden Maintenance mornings, weekend Family Days, and our fall Garlic Planting Party. See our calendar for upcoming events in Washington Youth Garden.
Get Involved
Individual, group, and youth volunteers provide crucial help with gardening tasks such as weeding, planting, mulching, and pest control from April through mid-November. You don’t need prior experience, but you must be willing to make friends with the soil and the bugs! See our garden page to learn more.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
With a focus on serving under-resourced communities, FONA nurtures curious minds and healthy bodies by connecting youth to food, the land, and each other. Our youth education programs take place at Washington Youth Garden on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum and in partner schools across Washington, DC.
school garden teams from D.C. Title I schools received technical assistance & training
D.C. high school Green Ambassadors honed skills & explored potential career paths
students visited the Washington Youth Garden on a field trip
students served across all Educator Coaching Program partner schools
School Garden Support Program
The School Garden Support Program works with educators across DC to build strong, sustainable school garden programs. Our program empowers teachers to connect students to garden-based education through field trips in Washington Youth Garden, virtual classroom support, and professional development opportunities for DC educators.
Our field trips take place in Washington Youth Garden at the U.S. National Arboretum. Field trips are 90 minutes long and explore the garden and Nature Explore Classroom.
Bring garden science into your classroom or home with our Grow@Home activity kit, Virtual Farm Field Trips, and curated online learning resources.
Our professional development opportunities train teachers and school staff to make garden-based education a part of daily life in schools.
Green Ambassador Program
The Green Ambassador Program (GAP) provides year-round employment and development opportunities for DC high school students. Youth enter the program in the Farm Crew and progress to become Crew Leaders, staff, and alumni.
Participants begin GAP in the Farm Crew, a six-week paid summer internship where they learn hands-on skills such as gardening, cooking, and carpentry as well as interpersonal skills like communication and collaboration.
After participating in the Farm Crew, Green Ambassador alumni are invited to mentor incoming Farm Crew participants, deepen their knowledge through garden internships, and broaden connections through an alumni network.
VISITOR EVENTS & PROGRAMS
We host visitor events and programs throughout the year that encourage a connection to nature, science, health, and wellness. Check out our calendar below to see what’s available.
Forest Bathing
Connect with nature while exploring the grounds. During this two-hour program, our certified nature and forest therapy guide will invite you to reflect on the world around you and guide you through focused meditations. See calendar below for upcoming dates and times.
Photography Workshops
Hone your nighttime photography skills by learning through sunset and sunrise photo workshops at the National Arboretum. Learn from the experts and register for a class with Capital Photography Center.
Fitness Activities
Stay active at the Arboretum through summer yoga classes and the spring Flowering 5K and Fall 5K running races.
Interested in becoming a 5K sponsor? Check out our race sponsorship package to learn more!
Garden Fair & Plant Sale
The spring Garden Fair & Plant Sale takes place every year on the last weekend of April. Shop from thousands of plants and over 25 local gardening, lifestyle, and food vendors. You can also get advice from our expert gardeners and enjoy free family activities.
Bulb Sale & Garlic Planting Party
The annual Bulb Sale & Garlic Planting Party takes place in late September or early October. There will be edible and decorative bulbs for sale, free family-friendly art activities, garlic planting, food tastings, garden tours, vegetable harvesting, and more.
Christmas Tree Sale
Join us for the annual Christmas Tree Sale in early December. Visitors can buy Christmas trees and other holiday greenery at the Arboretum, or pre-order a tree and have it delivered to your house.
29TH ANNUAL DINNER UNDER THE STARS
Save the date for Tuesday, September 9, 2025 for FONA’s 29th annual Dinner Under the Stars! Enjoy a wonderful fall evening at the U.S. National Arboretum with colleagues, business leaders, and senior staff and officials from Capitol Hill. Enjoy cocktails and a tented dinner in view of the historic Capitol Columns, which were originally sited in the East Portico of the Capitol Building from 1828 to 1958.
Dinner Under the Stars is FONA’s most important event each year and is held on behalf of the U.S. National Arboretum. It is our primary fundraising event to support the National Arboretum’s plant research and public education mission. As its primary 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner, FONA complements the National Arboretum’s important work by funding programs and events that connect visitors with nature, inspire discovery, and appreciate the practical application of plant science and our dependence on plants.
Stay tuned — more event information is coming soon!
VIRTUAL EVENTS
In our Digging In virtual event series, we host experts to discuss exciting topics pertaining to the National Arboretum’s mission. As a FONA member, you can attend the events live and dig in with the experts.
Enduring Legacy of CCC Co. 1360
‘Ironing’ Out Phosphorus — Helping Nursery Plants Hold Their P
Delayed Value of Plant Introductions
Bald Eagles and the Anacostia Watershed
Connecting through Cocoa & Coffee
Understanding Organic Lawn Care
Want to watch “Digging In” live?
CALENDAR
March
April
May
June
Use the filter function (above) marked with this icon to narrow down the list of events. Items in black do not have links yet.