'Find Your Wings' at Botanical Gardens

Fairies will fill the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens during a new celebration of all things winged at “Find Your Wings Week” at the Botanical Gardens.

Celebrate during the day for the spring flower exhibit or in the evening for “Gardens After Dark: Fantastic Fairies” from April 14-18. To expand on the fairy fun, the annual “Fairy Festival” is also planned for April 17-18.

During “Find Your Wings Week,” visitors can enjoy the spring flower exhibit, sponsored by M&T Bank. The exhibit will be decorated with some imaginative fairy surprises and will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The venue said, “With sights and fragrant smells of vibrant spring flowers, the Botanical Gardens will be filled with lively pops of color that visitors won’t want to miss. A delightful fairy village and model train will highlight this whimsical week in honor of our pollinator friends. In an effort to protect pollinators, the Erie County Environmental Management Council will provide information on their ‘Safe Home for The Gnomes’ campaign. The campaign encourages residents to have a pesticide-free lawn creating a safe home for the gnomes and their busy pollinator friends.

“ ‘Gardens After Dark: Fantastic Fairies’ will create a magical and whimsical garden full of winged creatures. Visitors are encouraged to wear their favorite fairy costume to fully indulge in the tropical fairy garden as lights dance and bounce off the glass windows and shadows are created by the amazing plant collection that will transport you to another world full of fantastic fairies. Delight in the spring flower exhibit, a fairy village display, a model train and more.”

“Gardens After Dark: Fantastic Fairies” will be held 6:30-9 p.m. (until 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday). It is sponsored by National Grid, the Western New York Foundation and Rich Products.

The venue said, “At the annual ‘Fairy Festival,’ visitors will be able to walk into the secret world of fairies. Skip through the Botanical Gardens with your favorite set of wings on a magical scavenger hunt for a prize at the end! Peek into a charming fairy village, a model train and talk with educators about interesting plants, winged pollinators and fairies galore.

“Visit the pollinator friends from Hahn's Honey Bees to learn more about the importance of pollinators and check out the Botanical Gardens’ live beehive. Dragonfly Jams and Jellies will also be on site to offer their delicious home-made products made from the hard work of pollinators and the finest heritage fruits that Niagara County has to offer. Don't forget to also visit Prehistoric World to interact with some creatures that might be found in a fairy forest. Prehistoric World is New York's only reptile zoo where visitors can interact with animals and get hands on with an array of amazing species. On your way out, grab an activity bag to-go to continue the fun at home.”

The spring flower exhibit, “Gardens After Dark” and “Fairy Festival” tickets must be purchased at buffalogardens.com, as reservations are required for all visitors – including members – due to capacity limitations. Walk-ins may be turned away if capacity is surpassed. To maintain the capacity limit and the safety of both visitors and staff, visitors are encouraged to limit their visit to an hour or 90 minutes. Arrive with your E-tickets ready to be scanned and have your ID available. Masks are required at all times when visiting the Botanical Gardens.

Visit www.buffalogardens.com. Proceeds benefit the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission to inspire curiosity and connect people to the natural world through its historic living museum.