Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden will open its gates after sunset Friday, July 31, for a lantern-lit evening of telescope viewing, guided meditation and optional wine-paired tastings beneath a 97-percent-illuminated moon.
Moonlight Garden at Fairchild runs from 8 to 10:30 p.m. at the 83-acre garden on Old Cutler Road. General admission is $35, or $30 for Fairchild members.
Fairchild says the event revives one of its most popular traditions, according to the Coral Gables Gazette. The garden has not specified how long the moonlight walks were on hiatus.
What's included
The core ticket covers a self-guided walk along candlelit and lantern-marked paths, with music drifting through portions of the grounds and mist added around the rainforest landscape. Visitors also get access to the Astronomy Field on the Bailey Palm Glade, where astronomers will set up telescopes on a first-come, first-served basis. The moon rises in Miami at approximately 9:32 p.m. that evening, placing it overhead near the middle of the event.
Fairchild's Growing Beyond Earth Innovation Studio will be open for nighttime exploration. The studio is part of the garden's collaboration with NASA on research into growing food in space, with more than 40,000 students nationwide contributing data to the program, according to NASA.
A Wellness Terrace at the Allée Overlook offers guided meditation sessions at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., along with mandala flower art. The Star Bar Lounge at the Lower Cycad Vista provides seating and ambient music; food and drinks there cost extra.
Premium add-ons
Two ticketed experiences run at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. and require advance reservations:
Moon Painting Experience — A guided painting session at the Lower Cycad Vista using the moonlit garden as its subject. Cost: $25 add-on or $55 bundled with admission.
Garden Pairing Experience (21+) — A one-hour, three-course tasting on the Glasshouse Café patio pairing tropical ingredients with wine. The menu opens with peach and prosciutto on breadfruit crostini with sauvignon blanc and closes with a salad of greens, pickled beets, cucumber, mango and Gorgonzola dressed with tamarind-rum vinaigrette, served with red wine. Cost: $50 standalone or $75 with admission.
Charcuterie packages for two run $95 with water or $125 with prosecco. Miniature cocktail and mocktail flights are also available.
What to know before you go
The event takes place rain or shine. Outside food and beverages are not permitted, and tickets are neither refundable nor transferable. Fairchild describes the evening as adult-oriented, though general admission is not restricted to adults. Alcohol activities require guests to be 21 with valid ID. General-admission tickets may be purchased at the door subject to capacity, but painting and tasting bundles must be bought in advance at fairchildgarden.org.
Upcoming community events
- Friday, July 31 — Moonlight Garden at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 8–10:30 p.m., 10901 Old Cutler Road. Tickets from $30 (members) / $35 (general).
- Saturday, December 19 — Tropical Nights at Pinecrest Gardens: Orquesta La Oferta, 8 p.m., Banyan Bowl amphitheater.
- Saturday, February 27, 2027 — Tropical Nights at Pinecrest Gardens: Baila Nova Plays Jobim, 8 p.m.
