A Chile Pepper Celebration & More at the National Arboretum in October

Head to the Arboretum's (3501 New York Ave NE, or 2400 R St. NE) National Herb Garden this Saturday for the annual Chile Pepper Celebration. Join members of the Herb Society of America and National Herb Garden staff as they turn up the heat and present some colorful varieties of hot peppers. Feel the burn yourself and learn a few things along the way.
Saturday, Oct. 6 (1–4pm)
National Herb Garden (under the arbor)
Free, no registration required.


I've previously mentioned the Arboretum's new Herban Lifestyles series, as a great way to learn how to use more herbs in your daily life, and October brings us two more events from that program.

Cold Comfort: Herbs to Aid Immunity During Cold and Flu Season (Herban Lifestyles)
Herbalist Whitney Palacios will teach participants how to make syrups, teas, and other herbal preparations to fortify and nourish the immune system during the winter months.
Saturday, Oct. 20 (10am–12pm)
Visitor Center classroom
Fee: $35 ($28 FONA members). Registration required.

Herbs: They Make Scents! (Herban Lifestyles)
Learn how to harvest and prepare herbs to create fragrant herbal incense cones and powders. Participants will create their own blend to take home. Please bring a small container to safely transport your freshly made incense.
Saturday, Oct. 27 (10am–12pm)
Visitor Center classroom
Fee: $35 ($28 FONA members). Registration required.

This month at the Arboretum you can also take a closer look at the life of trees, and take in the Harvest Moon during the Otsukimi Moon Viewing Festival.

Oaktoberfest Tree Wonders Walk
Join horticulturist Scott Aker for an in-depth look at trees and how they function. Get the real story of fall color in deciduous trees, find out how trees cope with squirrels and other seed feeders to ensure the survival of their seeds for the next generation of trees, and learn how to read clues from your trees about how they are doing and what they need to stay healthy and strong.
Monday, Oct. 29 (1–3pm)
Tour starts in the Visitor Center lobby
Fee: $15, $12 FONA members. Registration required.

Otsukimi Moon Viewing Festival
The Japan-America Society of Washington DC and the U.S. National Arboretum teamed up for the annual Otsukimi festival, a very special nighttime event at the Arboretum. Celebrate the Harvest Moon with food, family activities, a sake tasting, haiku, koto music, a tea ceremony, mochi pounding (mochitsuki), and more. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum will be open for part of the evening. Please RSVP on by Oct. 24.
Attendees may either order obento through JASWDC or bring their own picnic. If you wanted to order a bento, you will need to do so on or before Oct. 22 (also RSVP by Oct. 22 for the bento). If you would like a vegetarian bento, email info[a]jaswdc.org with your name and the number of vegetarian bento you need to order.
Monday, Oct. 29 (6–9:00pm)
National Herb Garden and Visitor Center classroom
Fee for Otsukimi: $35, $25 JASWDC, NBF, and FONA members; fee for tea ceremony $5; fee for obento and bottled water $15. Registration required.

There's a handy map online to help you navigate the Arboretum grounds. FONA refers to the independent group Friends of the National Arboretum, and you can join for $35 a year (individual membership). NBF is the National Bonsai Foundation.