Programs & Events
See full calendar for more information and registration for programs and events.
Garden Activities
Find your experience
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
July 5 – Sept. 2 | $15 cash only
Base of waterfall in the Gardens
Start your day off right in Vail’s most ZEN location taught by local expert staff. Find your flow in the Alpine Plaza surrounded by water and flowers.
Limited yoga mats available and no registration necessary.
All Day Workshop
July 22 | $200
With Todd Winslow Pierce
Meet at Education Center
Discover new ways of seeing color, patterns, textures, and space.
No photography experience needed. Smart phones welcome.
Monday, Thursday, Saturdays
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Through September 6 | $10
Meet at Education Center
A guided garden tour winding through the beautiful property, ending at the quaint Schoolhouse Gift Shop in the
Children’s Garden.
Learn about alpine flora and mountain environments, identification, and the history of the area.
2021 Workshops
10:30 a.m. | Unless otherwise noted
$10; some are FREE for members and volunteers
An in depth series with local experts highlighting topics about sustainable gardening.
2021 Schedule
6/24- Plants and Pollinators Workshop 10:30-noon
7/1 – High-Altitude Vegetable Gardening – 10:30 – Noon
8/5 – Best of Both Worlds – 10:30 – Noon
8/19 Pruning Workshop
9/16 Putting Your Garden to Bed Workshop 10:30-noon
Thursdays
Noon – 1:00 p.m. July 8 – Aug. 6 | $20
Buy tickets online in advance | Space is limited
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Lobby
A six-part series of cooking demonstrations featuring some of the valley’s most celebrated chefs.
Members can register online pre-sale (limit 2 tickets per event per member). General public tickets are released July 1.
All chefs are volunteering their time, talents and resources for our most popular fundraiser.
Daily All summer
Take an imaginary tour past a beaver pond to the top of a mountain. See how the different ecosystems transform. Touch and smell plants in the vegetable garden. Connect food to table in Betty’s Market. Get in the dirt and dig in the Kid’s Patch. Follow the footprint to find the animal, view the Gore Creek watershed, or get into the sand pit.
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is an unforgettable way to experience the world of plants together and inspire the next botanic explorer!
Apres in the Gardens
An evening speaker series with experts from around the world.
Tickets: $15 for general public/$10 for members
6 – 7pm
Some programs are virtual.
2021 theme: Plants are An Answer, based on Project Drawdown
Wednesday | January 20. 2021
Historian Steve Ruskin presents the life of Alice Eastwood, an American botanist from the 1800s. Eastwood is credited with building the botanic collection at the California Academy of Sciences.
Are Alpine Plants & Animals on the Same Page?
Wednesday | February 17. 2021
Emily Griffoul, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens’ conservation scientist, shares her mission to fulfill the North American Botanic Gardens Alpine Conservation Strategy.
Past Expert Presentations
A Splendid Journey: Famous 19th Century Botanical Explorers in Colorado Rockies
Wednesday | March 17. 2021
Dr. Chris Ray of CU Boulder and the life of conducting research and collecting data in the elements.
Reintroducing the Gray Wolf to Colorado
Events
May | Annually
Cancelled
This program has taught over 15,000 3rd grade students about the miracle of
metamorphosis and life cycles. Butterfly release at noon.
September 27| Annually
2020 Open House
Details to come for the 2021 celebration
A yearly celebration for the Gardens’ founder, Helen Fritch. A day of remembrance, gratitude and celebration.
9 – 11:00 a.m. June 25
Member Appreciation Event
Rooftop Terrace
Cancelled
Grand Opening of our summer exhibit with special guest speaker!
Members only event.
Become a member today!
4 – 6 p.m. July 22
Member Event
Cancelled
An intimate celebration in the Gardens for Sustaining Members and above. Food and cocktails while mingling among the flowers.