Calendar
Friends of the Conservatory offers a calendar of events that explores a wide range of topics, including horticulture, arts and music, cultural awareness, landscape and architecture, and more. All of our programming is made possible by the generosity of our donors and partners. Some of our most popular programs include:
Guided Tours ***Temporarily Unavailable***
Lectures and Workshops
Art and Music Events
Seasonal Celebrations: Special events held throughout the year, including our popular Holiday Open House, Spring and Fall Plant Sales, and more.
We strive to make educational and cultural experiences more accessible to everyone and are committed to offering affordable programming.
Introduction to Orchid Care and Repotting
Introduction to Orchids and their care.
The orchid family (Orchidacea) is one of the largest and most diverse plant families. It possibly
represents 10% of the flowering plant species. There are between 20,000 and 35,000 species
(about 800 genera) and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. There are 41 native
terrestrial orchid species in Washington State. Orchids are characterized by having highly
specialized flower adaptations usually for pollination by insects.
This class will cover the physical characteristics of orchids, care and feeding of the plants. Each
student is encourages to bring up to 3 of their plants for evaluation and possible repotting. The
lecture and demonstration portion of the class will be one hour followed by the evaluation and
repotting demonstrations for an hour.
Lunar New Year Tea Tasting Ceremony
Join us as we welcome the year of the horse! Enjoy 5 different distinct Oolong teas from China and experience the tradition and meaning behind tea ceremonies and Lunar New Year!
John Riziki Musical Performance
John Riziki is a singer-songwriter hailing from Accra, Ghana, who has called Issaquah home for more than twenty years. He was five years old when his family immigrated to the United States. First writing songs as a teenager, John is now releasing his music into the world—sharing the stories and moments that shaped him, in hopes that everyone can relate them to their own.
Jack Johnson Presents “Fungi: The Facts and the Flimflam”
Presentation and lecture by Jack Johnson on Fungi. Free to the public with a suggested donation of $10 per person.
John Riziki in Concert
JOHN RIZIKI is a singer-songwriter from Accra, Ghana living in Seattle, WA.
First writing songs as a teenager to better navigate and reflect on his experiences. John is now releasing his music into the world–sharing the stories and moments that shaped him, in hopes that everyone can relate them to their own.
Volunteer Park Walking Tree Tour
Brad Schneider will give you a tour thru Volunteer Park as we explore and identify the magnificent trees, some of them the biggest ones in the city limits. He will show you, hands on the details to identifying each tree which you can use later on as you explore other trees in other parks or around your neighborhood. Brad has been in horticulture for about 40 years of his life. He graduated from Cal Poly, SLO with degree in Ornamental Horticulture w/ Minor in arboriculture. He has done horticulture in 5 states and has worked at the Missouri Botanical gardens. He has just retired from the City of Seattle Parks where he was a Gardener and Senior Gardener for the Landscape crew for 23 years. *Suggested donation of $30
*Please email foc@volunteerparkconservatory.org if you would like to join the tree tour!
SPRING PLANT SALE
Please join us for our annual Spring Plant Sale! Check out thousands of plants to purchase! Fun for the whole family!
SPRING PLANT SALE
Please join us for our annual Spring Plant Sale! Check out thousands of plants to purchase! Fun for the whole family!
Puget Sound Gesneriad Society Show and Sale
Join us for the annual African Violet Show and Sale!
Musical Performance by Evelyn Frances
Evelyn Frances is an experimental, avante garde musician and songwriter from Upstate New York, currently based in Seattle. Her work weaves in her foundation as a classical flutist and jazz musician, while moving forward into electronic exploration of sound. Lyrically, she touches on themes of climate change and human’s relationship to nature, political rage, and her own struggles with mental illness.
Her first album, Seed, was recorded serendipitously at Electric Lady Studios, where she met her producer and engineer, Phil Joly, while she was interning at the studio. They are now working on her second album, alongside Matthew Politoski, which is set to be released in 2025.
Sogetsu Ikebana Presentation
Joins us for a presentation and show on Ikebana style flower arranging by the Sogetsu Society. Display will be out from 11am-3pm. Presentation will be from 2-3pm.
Sogetsu Ikebana Presentation and Show
Joins us for a presentation and show on Ikebana style flower arranging by the Sogetsu Society. Arrangements will be on display 11am until 4pm. If you’d like to see the demonstration, that will be held from 2-3pm in the Priebe Wing.