October–December 2026
As the days grow shorter and cooler, Sonoma Botanical Garden transforms with the beauty of the changing seasons. From the first signs of autumn in October to the brilliant display of rare Asian maples in November and the quiet beauty of early winter in December, each visit offers something new to discover.
Maple Magic & Winter Wonder invites visitors to experience this special time of year through nature, creativity, and connection. Throughout the season, the Garden offers guided walks, hands-on workshops, lectures, and special experiences inspired by the changing landscape. Wander among vibrant fall foliage, breathe in the sweet fragrance of katsura trees, enjoy creative programs, and experience the peaceful beauty of the Garden as it transitions into winter.
Public Programs
Fall Guided Meditation Hike
Take a grounding journey through the Garden’s early autumn landscape, where nature, mindfulness, and gentle movement come together in a seasonal meditation hike. This reflective experience leads participants along a quiet trail to the Garden’s highest point, offering opportunities to slow down, breathe deeply, and take in the beauty of fall. Along the way, pause to observe the shifting colors of the season, engage in mindful breathing, and connect with the natural world through guided reflection. Let the crisp air, rustling leaves, and panoramic views help you find stillness, presence, and renewed balance.
This program is offered in collaboration with Sonoma Yoga, a community-centered studio with over 20 years of experience, offering a dynamic team of yoga, fitness, and meditation guides to support your practice. Please dress accordingly and bring water.
Saturday, September 19, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
$17 for members, $32 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Nature Journaling for the Beginner
Join Nature Journal Instructor and California Naturalist Sarah Reid for a welcoming, structured workshop designed especially for those new to nature journaling. Together, we’ll explore how to observe the natural world more deeply by using sketches, words, and simple data to document the what, when, where, why, and how of what we notice outdoors.
Saturday, September 26, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$17 for members, $32 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Botanical Briefing: Artists in the Garden: Realm of Inspiration
Join local art historian Craig Griffeath on a panoramic tour of inspiring gardens, as brought to life by some of history’s greatest artists. From the Egypt of the Pharaohs and the villas of Pompeii to the classic Landscape Gardens of the English Enlightenment, we’ll watch the social role of gardens evolve and flourish through the centuries. We’ll look into the gardens of the Impressionist painters Pissarro and Monet, the rise of the American Garden Movement, the propaganda value of Victory Gardens in a nation at war, and on to the Modern Art garden retreats of Frida Kahlo and Peggy Guggenheim. Don’t miss this unique and dazzling survey of how gardens have helped to shape the story of art.
Saturday, October 24, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
$10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Center for Learning & Engagement. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Nature Journaling: Beyond Beginner
This structured workshop with Nature Journal Instructor and California Naturalist Sarah Reid is designed for participants ready to deepen their nature journaling practice. You’ll learn additional techniques for documenting observations in your journal—what we like to call building your “pencil miles.”
The class will include guided practice with quick sketching, blind contour drawing, simple mapping, and an introduction to working with watercolors. If you’ve dabbled in nature journaling or previously attended a beginner-level workshop, this class is a great next step.
Saturday, October 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$17 for members, $32 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Curator’s Seasonal Autumn Walk
Celebrate the beauty of autumn at Sonoma Botanical Garden with a guided fall walk led by the Garden’s Curator of Living Collections, Michael Wenzel. Discover the season’s most striking botanical highlights, from vibrant foliage and late-blooming perennials to colorful berries, seed pods, and other signs of nature’s transition into winter.
Saturday October 31, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Botanical Briefing: A Celebration of Japanese Maples
Japanese maples have become a staple of gardens across North America. From the original species to the many varied cultivars. Come and explore this tree and its variations with Steven Pitsenbarger, garden supervisor at San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden – the oldest operating public Japanese Garden in North America.
Thursday, November 5, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m
$10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Center for Learning & Engagement. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Paper Lantern Workshop
Discover the magic of paper cutting in this one-day workshop making your own paper lantern. Participants will learn paper cutting design and knife techniques, and create a unique, illuminated piece of art.
After exploring examples of paper cutting artists and their work, students will dream up their own paper lantern designs to execute with guidance and instruction. Learn how to translate your ideas into a cut paper composition, then how to cut out your composition with minimized frustration. Finally, we will assemble our lanterns and illuminate them to bask in the glow of your efforts.
Saturday, November 7, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
$78 for members, $95 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Center for Learning & Engagement. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
The Secret Lives of Maples Walk
There’s far more to maples than syrup and the Canadian flag. Sonoma Botanical Garden is home to an extraordinary collection representing nearly one-quarter of the world’s known maple species. Join us for a captivating walk through this remarkable collection as the trees reach their spectacular peak of autumn color.
Saturday, November 7, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Fall Forest Bathing Walk
Come enjoy a gentle, guided Forest Bathing Walk where East meets West at the Sonoma Botanical Garden. This event is inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku or “forest bathing.” Forest bathing is the intentional practice of slowing down and immersing oneself in the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of the natural world in order to restore wellbeing and deepen our relationship with nature.
This walk will be led by Susan Karle, a Certified Forest Therapy Guide, who brings over a decade of experience guiding nature connection practices with people of all ages. Her approach integrates her background in grief and trauma work with a deep respect for the healing power of nature.
Saturday, November 7, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
$10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Maple Magic: Fall Color Walk
Experience the brilliance of autumn at Sonoma Botanical Garden during Maple Magic, a guided fall color walk celebrating the Garden’s remarkable collection of more than 50 species of Asian maples. As the season shifts, the landscape transforms into a tapestry of fiery reds, glowing oranges and brilliant golds — a fleeting spectacle inspired by Japan’s momijigari (“maple leaf hunting”), a centuries-old tradition of visiting scenic places to admire the beauty of autumn foliage.
Friday, November 13, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 15, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Registration required. $10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Autumn Embroidery Workshop
Wreath Making Workshop
The Beauty and Function of Tree Bark
On this guided walk, we’ll explore the extraordinary ways bark protects and sustains a tree—from shielding it against insects, disease, fire, and extreme weather to transporting nutrients, storing energy, and supporting healthy growth. Along the way, you’ll learn how to recognize distinctive bark characteristics of a variety of species and gain a deeper appreciation for this remarkable living tissue.
Saturday, December 5, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
$10 for members, $20 for non-members. Includes Garden admission. Please check in at the Garden’s Welcome Center. To learn more and sign up, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page
Winter Wonder Lantern Walks
Celebrate the beauty and quiet magic of the season during Winter Wonder Lantern Walks, a festive after-dark experience at Sonoma Botanical Garden. Guided along the route by Garden staff and volunteers, guests will stroll through the winter landscape carrying glowing lanterns, discovering softly shadowed pathways, towering trees, and the peaceful stillness of the Garden beneath the night sky. Rather than a traditional docent-led tour, this experience is designed as a peaceful and immersive opportunity to enjoy the rare experience of walking through the Garden after hours and after dark. Along the way, enjoy moments of reflection, seasonal ambiance, and the simple joy of gathering outdoors during the holiday season.
The evening begins with hot cocoa, spiced cider, and cookies from 5:30–6:00 p.m., followed by a brief welcome and lantern walk orientation before departing together for a guided walk through the Garden. Winter Wonder Lantern Walks are a seasonal fundraiser that will support the Garden’s programs, collections, and conservation efforts.
Thursday, December 10, 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Friday, December 11, 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 12, 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 13, 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Registration required. $20 for members, $30 for non-members, $10 for youth ages 17 and under. Please check in at the Welcome Center. Please review the important accessibility, experience, registration, and cancellation information. To learn more and register, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
Winter Solstice Sound Bath
Celebrate the quiet beauty of the Winter Solstice with a restorative sound bath honoring the longest night of the year—a time for reflection, rest, and renewal. Glen Ellen–based practitioners Amelia Belle and Bob Rudorf, who have spent more than a decade using sound and guided meditation as tools for transformation, will lead this immersive experience with crystal singing bowls and other resonant instruments, harmonized with the natural sounds of the Garden.
The sound bath will be held indoors in the Center for Learning & Engagement, surrounded by the peaceful energy of the Garden, and is limited to 18 participants.
Monday, December 21, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
$17 for members, $32 for non-members. Please check in at the Garden’s Center for Learning & Engagement. To learn more and register, click “Register” and explore the “Info” tab on the registration page.
With support from:
