Oak-tober Fest is a month-long celebration at Ruth Bancroft Garden exploring the deep and diverse relationships between people and plants. From food and fiber to medicine, ritual, and inspiration, our Garden is home to a world of ethnobotanical wonders.
Throughout the month, enjoy a lineup of lectures, tours, and family-friendly onsite events that highlight the cultural and practical importance of the plants in our collection. There’s something for everyone to explore.
Highlights include:
Webinar (Pre-recorded): The Ethnobotany of Succulents, October 2 @ 10am (link available for one week)
Join us for an engaging webinar exploring the ethnobotany of succulents, uncovering how diverse cultures have used these plants for food, medicine, and symbolism throughout history. Presented by Deepa Natarajan, who holds an MSc in ethnobotany from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the University of Kent, England.
Fruit Tasting Tour – Saturday, October 18 – 10am – 11am
Discover the bounty of the Garden! Brian, our curator of 45 years, will lead a tour focusing on the many plants in the Garden that play a role in the lives of people. Participants will take home a collection of fruits for an added taste of the Garden.
Lecture: Mescal Agave Use in Arizona: Food, Fiber, and Vessel, Thursday, October 23 – 6pm – 7pm
Uncover the significance of mezcal agaves in Indigenous traditions. This talk includes the life history of mescal, and the multitude of Tribal uses of this intriguing plant and their long relationship with this plant from centuries ago to the modern era. Presented by Carrie Cannon, Ethnobotanist for the Hualapi tribe in Arizona.
Interpretive Signage in the Garden – October 19-26 – All Day
As you stroll through the Garden, interpretive signs invite you to discover the deep connections between people and plants – highlighting foods, fibers and spiritual traditions that come from the Garden.
Oak-toberfest Family Day, Sunday, October 26 – 10am – 2pm
Our signature event of the month! Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, interactive displays and signage throughout the Garden, local vendors, free talks, and a special film screening on biomimicry – how nature inspires human innovation.
Come celebrate the wisdom of plants and the cultures that have cultivated relationships with them for generations!
