SAN ANTONIO – Once you enter the doors of the San Antonio Botanical Garden, it’s a different world. A world of gardens, trails and peace, but still a place that is dealing with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the garden’s Director of Marketing, Eliana Rodríguez, it offers a unique advantage for those wanting to explore and connect with nature.
“We offer 38 acres of natural beauty where it’s pretty easy for anyone to physically distance,” Rodríguez said.
Although outdoors, the botanical center has made some changes.
“We really had to rethink and reimagine our large scale events that we used to have before COVID-19,” Rodríguez said. “Now we’ve had to think of them as more of micro events and also for them to be conducive of COVID-19 guidelines.”
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Micro events like Saturday’s Pequeño Pepper Day, a celebration of the different peppers of the world that was originally supposed to be a full-day festival. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about and purchase unique peppers not often found in stores — knowledge that can put to the test in the kitchen with the three pepper-inspired recipes Chef Katrina Flores prepared during culinary demos Saturday morning.
Although events may have less capacity, Rodríguez said there’s plenty of opportunities for families to visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden.
“In September, we have Origami in the Garden 2 exhibition, which they’ll learn about paper plants and how origami is made out of paper and how paper comes from plants,” Rodríguez said.
Fall events such as BOOtanica and Horror at the Lake are also still expected to continue with public health and safety rules in place.
Virtual programming and classes have also been integrated to the garden’s learning opportunities.
For more information on upcoming events and exhibitions at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, click here.
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