By Alex Robinson
The Queens Botanical Garden is set to celebrate the arrival of autumn with its annual Harvest Fest and Pumpkin Patch Sunday.
The Flushing garden, at 43-50 Main St., will usher in the season with a family-friendly day chocked full of activities, food and live entertainment.
“It’s the end of our growing season,” said Farah Chandu, a spokeswoman for the garden. “This is our final hurrah before the garden goes into hibernation for the winter.”
Organizers expect more than 4,000 people to come through the garden’s gates to stroll through its maze, pick out a pumpkin in a patch and soak up the autumn sunshine at this year’s celebration.
Most of the festival’s activities will be free with the price of admission to the garden, which is $4 for adults, and $2 for seniors, students and children aged 3-12.
Families will be able to pick out their own pumpkin to decorate for $5 and will also get a reusable bag, which can double as a trick-or-treat bag, Chandu said.
A garden member will lead festival-goers on a bird walk through the grounds, where they will get the chance to spot a pheasant and a red tailed hawk, birds one would not otherwise expect to see in downtown Flushing.
There will be many activities for children, such as a bouncy castle, petting zoo, pony ride, face painting and craft tables.
Children will also be able to try to find their way through a small maze the garden planted in the spring.
“It’s teeny-weeny. The grownups can go through it in a matter of minutes, but the little guys have a good time with it,” Chandu said of the maze. “For a 3-year-old it’s great.”
There will be a separate cost for some of the activities, which will be scattered throughout the botanical garden. Parents will have to buy tickets for certain things in $20 sheets, but they will be able to redeem whatever tickets they have left at a beer tent, where craft beers will be on offer.
Food will also be available, including crepes, Bayside corn, cake pops and Italian ices.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will have live music from the Lonesome Moonlight String Band and classic rock band Pin Ups.
In addition to the potpourri of activities, Chandu said the garden’s staff hopes festival-goers will take the time to appreciate the autumn blooms.
“This is a beautiful sustainable area that belongs to the public and we want to show this is what the public can do,” Chandu said.
Reach reporter Alex Robinson by e-mail at arobinson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
