SEASONAL FESTIVALS & PLANT SALES
GARLIC PLANTING PARTY & BULB SALE
Celebrate fall and our amazing FONA community with us during our annual Garlic Planting Party & Bulb Sale. Join us on Saturday, October 25th from 11 AM to 3 PM in the Washington Youth Garden. Whether you attended your first FONA event this year, or are a long-time Washington Youth Garden volunteer, all are welcome to attend this free event. Wearing Halloween costumes is highly encouraged!
EVENT SCHEDULE
- 10 AM – 11 AM: Member social and early-bird sale for FONA members (donate any amount to become a FONA member)
- 11 AM – 2 PM: Garlic Planting Party & Bulb Sale, open to the public for all to enjoy! Activities will include:
- A variety of edible and ornamental bulbs for sale (see which edible and decorative bulbs were ordered for the sale)
- Family-friendly art activities
- Garlic planting & vegetable harvesting
- Food tastings
- Garden tours
- Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe: Food truck with lunch and snacks for sale (10 AM – 1 PM)
- 1 PM – 3 PM: The Bulb Sale will continue through 3 PM, or as supplies last
Click the map to view in full screen.
What kind of bulbs can you buy? We’ll have tulips, daffodils, amaryllis, mixed bulb sets, edible garlic, and more for sale! Bulbs are planted in the fall and bloom in spring. Some do well when planted containers, so you don’t need a yard in order to grow them. They are also great pollinators and attract bees and butterflies! View the list of bulbs we have ordered for this sale. Edible garlic is not included on this list, but will be available for purchase.
This event is located at the Washington Youth Garden. Enter the Arboretum through either the New York Avenue (3501 New York Ave NE) or R Street entrances (2400 R Street NE). We recommend people park in the Grove Parking Lot — it’s a short 5 minute walk from there to the garden. Handicap parking is also available next to the garden in the Fern Valley Parking Lot. See the adjacent map for full details, or click the links above to navigate to each lot via Google Maps.
REGISTRATION
Registration for this free event is encouraged but not required. Please let us know you’re coming and to receive important event updates.
WINTER FESTIVAL & CHRISTMAS TREE SALE
Get in the holiday spirit during FONA’s annual Winter Festival & Christmas Tree Sale on Saturday, December 6th! This year’s event includes some exciting new changes from past years. More information is coming soon!
The Winter Festival will take place near the Arboretum’s Visitor Center and will include a artisan vendor village gift market, holiday train ride, food trucks, free family-friendly activities, and more.
The Christmas Tree Sale will take place in the Grove Lot, and will extend beyond December 6th (dates coming soon). When you buy a Christmas tree at FONA’s sale, a portion of your purchase is donated to FONA and supports our work at the National Arboretum.
LAHR NATIVE PLANT SYMPOSIUM & NATIVE PLANT SALE
The National Arboretum’s Lahr Native Plant Symposium brings together expert speakers for an engaging day of presentations about native plants, pollinators, and ecosystems. FONA’s Native Plant Sale hosts a small number of native plant vendors from across the mid-Atlantic region to sell spring ephemerals and other choice perennials and woody plants.
Both of these events are held together on the same day in late March. Registration for the Lahr Symposium often opens in January.
GARDEN FAIR & PLANT SALE
Thank you to all of the attendees, volunteers, and sponsors who made the 2025 Garden Fair & Plant Sale a success! Proceeds from this event help make FONA a strong partner to the National Arboretum. Thank you for supporting FONA’s work!
This event could not happen without the incredible support of volunteers. Over 80 volunteers helped on the main event day alone! Plus, the Garden Fair Committee spent over four months preparing for the event. Thank you to everyone who donated time and energy to make this event happen.
Special thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for sponsoring this year’s Garden Fair & Plant Sale. We are also grateful to in-kind donations from Anonymous (2), Adcock’s Nursery, Bell Nursery, Edelweiss Perennials, Far Reaches Farm, Hawksridge Farms, Hoffman Nursery, Monrovia, Old Glory Nursery, Pender Nursery, Plant Delights Nursery, Pleasant Cove Nursery, R.A. Dudley Nurseries, Alan Rudan, Youngblood Nursery, Zanfel.
EVENT VENDOR APPLICATION
Apply today to be a vendor at one of FONA’s annual seasonal festivals! Our seasonal festivals draw thousands of visitors to the National Arboretum throughout the year. Each event is unique: the Native Plant Sale connects with native plant enthusiasts; the Garden Fair & Plant Sale provides everything a gardener needs to get growing in the spring; and the Winter Festival offers holiday cheer and a gift market.
Apply today if you are a local business, nursery, or food truck interested in vending at one or multiple seasonal festivals. A limited number of booths are available at each event and space fills quickly.
EVENT VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering at FONA’s events throughout the year is a great way to support our work building community at the National Arboretum. Spend a day enjoying plants and people by volunteering at our annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale, or help with other seasonal festivals, concerts, 5K races, and more. No experience is required, but we greatly appreciate when people can commit to volunteering at multiple events throughout the year. Fill out our event volunteer interest form and we will get back to you with more details.
