EVENTS & PROGRAMS

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.

view of washington youth garden planted with fall crops

Visit the Garden

The garden is open to all Arboretum visitors and has parking nearby. Please follow our three garden agreements during your visit:

  1. Stay on the path
  2. Pick with permission
  3. Respect all living things
washington youth garden guests plant garlic at the annual garlic planting party

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.

green ambassador harvesting lettuce in the 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.

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school garden teams from D.C. Title I schools received technical assistance & training

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D.C. high school Green Ambassadors honed skills & explored potential career paths

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students visited the Washington Youth Garden on a field trip

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students served across all Educator Coaching Program partner schools

Educator leading a SPROUT field trip in the Washington Youth Garden

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.

Green Ambassadors with harvested produce in the Washington Youth Garden

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.

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 dates and times, or buy a forest bathing gift card for someone else.

capitol columns illuminated at night

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.

fall 5k runners jumping in the air

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 and plant sale visitor browsing plants

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.

fall festival and bulb sale volunteer with bulbs

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.

winter festival attendees shopping from vendors

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.

28TH ANNUAL DINNER UNDER THE STARS

Thank you to all who joined us for our 28th annual Dinner Under the Stars on September 17, 2024! We were honored to have Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) as our esteemed speakers.

Dinner Under the Stars is FONA’s most important event each year and is held on behalf of the National Arboretum. Thank you to our top sponsors for making this event possible: Bartlett Tree Experts, Bayer, International Paper / American Forest & Paper Association, and Margaret Strand. We also couldn’t host this event without the dedication of our Dinner co-chairs, Martha Van Dale, Chandler Goule, and Anne MacMillan.

Stay tuned for more information about the 2025 Dinner Under the Stars!

Members of DC's city council at the Dinner Under the Stars
Craven Rand, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Dr. Richard T. Olsen at Dinner Under the Stars
Attendees at the 2024 Dinner Under the Stars

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.

Want to watch “Digging In” live?

CALENDAR

Current Month

Apply

November

thu07nov10:30 amthu1:00 pmFall Colors Tram TourGuided tour with Arboretum curator

sun10nov8:30 amsun11:00 amFall 5KRun or walk past changing fall colors

mon11nov9:00 ammon11:00 amVeteran's Day Forest Bathing with Sage & PaulGuided Meditation & Mindfulness

fri15nov10:30 amfri12:00 pmMember Hike & Fall WalkConnect with other FONA members

fri15nov6:00 pmfri8:00 pmFull Moon HikeGuided hike through the grounds under the full moon

fri15nov6:00 pmfri8:30 pmFull Moon Forest BathingGuided meditation under the full moon

December

tue03dec12:00 pmtue1:00 pmDigging In: Directors' DiscussionBecome a FONA member to attend

sat07dec10:00 amsat4:00 pmChristmas Tree SaleBuy Christmas Trees, Wreaths, & Garlands

sat07dec11:00 amsat11:45 amCelebratory Opening of "The Men Who Made the Arboretum"New date! Public Ceremony unveiling new exhibit

fri13dec10:30 amfri12:00 pmGotelli Conifer Collection TourGuided tour with Arboretum curator

tue31dec9:00 amtue4:30 pmNew Year's Eve Forest Bathing with Nicole3 Special Events, tickets go on sale 10/1

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