Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden usually closes at 5 p.m. On Friday, Sept. 25, the gates will remain open until 10:30 for something visitors rarely get to experience: the 83-acre garden after dark.
Moonlight Garden at Fairchild brings candle- and lantern-lit paths, guided nighttime walks, an after-dark tram tour, telescope viewing, food and cocktails to grounds more familiar in South Florida sunshine. Fairchild describes the event as the return of a tradition that for decades made walking the garden beneath a full moon one of its most popular nighttime experiences.
A tradition returns
Fairchild opened its 83 acres to the public in 1938, the product of an effort led by Col. Robert H. Montgomery, a businessman, accountant, attorney and avid plant collector. Montgomery named the garden for his friend David Fairchild, the famed botanist and plant explorer whose collecting work helped introduce hundreds of useful plants to the United States.
Nearly nine decades later, the garden remains best known for its tropical collections, particularly palms and cycads, along with orchids, tropical fruit and rare plants. Original Dale Chihuly glass art is also incorporated into parts of the grounds, and the American Orchid Society moved its international headquarters to Fairchild in 2012.
The nighttime version changes the setting without changing the garden.
Fairchild plans candles and lanterns along the paths, mist through the rainforest and ambient music across parts of the grounds. Guided walking tours will focus on how the garden changes after sunset, from night-blooming plants and fragrances to the sounds of insects and other nocturnal wildlife.
Not quite the Harvest Moon — but close
Fairchild is promoting the evening as an experience beneath the full moon. Astronomically, it misses the exact moment by less than a day.
The September Harvest Moon — the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox — reaches peak illumination at 12:49 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. On Friday evening, the moon is expected to rise in the Miami area at about 6:36 p.m., roughly an hour before Fairchild opens the event, and will appear about 97% illuminated. To the unaided eye, it should look essentially full.
For visitors who want a closer look, astronomers will set up telescopes on the Bailey Palm Glade for first-come celestial viewing. Fairchild’s Growing Beyond Earth program, its partnership with NASA, will also open its Innovation Studio for nighttime exploration.
What’s included, and what costs extra
General admission is $35 for the public and $30 for Fairchild members.
The ticket includes access to the garden, candlelit walking paths, guided Moonlight Garden walking tours, nighttime tram tours, the astronomy field and the Star Bar Lounge, where food, cocktails and mocktails will be available for purchase.
Several premium experiences cost extra.
A Full Moon Renewal: Breathwork & Sound Bath Ceremony, led by wellness practitioner Federica Donato, costs $25 and will be offered at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the Allee Overlook. Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mats and may want mosquito repellent for the outdoor session.
Artist Carlos Gallostra will lead Sketching and Painting Nocturnes by Moonlight, also $25, beginning at 8:30 p.m. at the Lower Cycad Vista. Participants will use watercolor pencils to capture the nighttime garden; supplies are included, and the session is expected to run until about 10 p.m., possibly as late as 10:20. Gallostra holds degrees from New World School of the Arts and Pratt Institute and has taught extensively at Fairchild and other institutions.
The Garden Pairing Experience, limited to guests 21 and older, offers a three-course guided tasting inspired by botanicals from the garden. Sessions are scheduled for 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. A package combining general admission and the tasting costs $75, a $10 savings; the tasting alone is $50, subject to availability.
For visitors looking for something less structured, Fairchild is also selling charcuterie boards for two: $95 with water or $125 with Prosecco for guests 21 and older.
If you go…
Moonlight Garden at Fairchild runs from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road.
The event is rain or shine. Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable. General admission and most premium experiences may be purchased at the door if space remains, although advance purchase is recommended. The $75 Garden Pairing bundle must be purchased in advance.
Fairchild describes the evening as adult-oriented, although the garden does not impose a general 21-and-older requirement. The Garden Pairing Experience is restricted to guests 21 and older.
For most of the year, Fairchild is a daytime garden. On Sept. 25, visitors get three extra hours — and a nearly full Harvest Moon — to see what changes after the sun goes down.
