The Tulsa Botanic Garden is embracing the season with bright pumpkins, creative scarecrows, and plenty of family fun at its annual fall festival. Visitors can stroll through vibrant displays and even help choose the winner of this year’s Scarecrow Contest.
Art meets autumn
Now in its tenth year, the garden’s Scarecrow Contest turns traditional field guardians into imaginative art pieces. About 30 scarecrows—crafted by local families, schools, businesses and community groups—line the garden paths, featuring designs from football players and cats to scientists and storybook characters.
Guests can vote for their favorite as part of the People’s Choice award, while staff will select their own favorite entry. Winners receive $200 and a free entry into next year’s competition.
A growing fall tradition
Tulsa Botanic Garden CEO Chuck Lamson said the festival continues to grow each year, adding new attractions for visitors.
“We decorate the garden, we have a pumpkin patch, we have a hay maze for the kids to run through,” Lamson said. “This scarecrow contest, which is always a lot of fun, adds a lot of color to the garden. We have new this year a pumpkin house, which is kind of a cool, great little photo stop.”
Lamson said the garden’s fall festival encourages families to explore and learn together.
“There’s ten stations where we teach you a little bit about nature and have some fun,” he said. “That’s kind of our thing — trying to teach young people about the importance of the natural world.”
BOO-tanical nights every Thursday
Each Thursday in October, the garden hosts its “BOO-tanical” event, offering children the chance to trick-or-treat in the Children’s Discovery Garden and collect candy before Halloween night…