ENCINITAS — “Summer Nights” are returning to the San Diego Botanic Garden this summer with the special addition of “Savage Gardens,” a traveling carnivorous plant exhibition.
The fan-favorite “Summer Nights,” which will run from July 13 to Aug. 17, will return on select Thursdays to feature concerts, special events and specialty food and drink packages in addition to extended hours until 8 p.m.
“Savage Gardens” will run from July 1 through Oct. 29 and spotlight carnivorous plants in the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory along with large-scale artistic installations.
“We’re particularly excited to welcome the traveling ‘Savage Gardens’ exhibition to San Diego for the first time, which will offer an incredible look into the fascinating world of carnivorous plants – some of the most unusual and often misunderstood plants in the world,” said Ari Novy, president and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Gardens.
Members of SDBG receive free admission to the exhibition. Non-member admissions range from $10-$18. Reservations are required.
“Summer Nights” will feature performances that range from children’s group, Hullabaloo, to jazz guitarist Peter Sprague. The popular “Wine in the Garden” event will also return this year with wine tastings and presentations by certified sommelier, Dane Kuta, and Director of Gardens John Clements to discuss how climate, soil and terrain play a role in winemaking.
Amphitheater concerts and special presentations will require a separate special event ticket, which varies in price and includes admission to the gardens. “Concerts on the Lawn” are free with a general admission ticket but with capacity limited, reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets can be purchased at www.sdbg.org/exhibitions-public-programs/summer-nights/.
These special events are in addition to the San Diego Botanic Garden’s regular calendar of classes and activities across its 15 on-site gardens that represent different regions of the world, including 12 demonstration gardens where visitors can learn in a hands-on setting and the largest public bamboo collection in North America. The season will finish with “The Garden Party,” an annual fundraising event for the garden set for Sept. 9.
“As San Diego’s leading botanic garden, we always strive to provide our community the chance to gather, enjoy the outdoors and learn about nature,” Novy said. “From a sunset concert series and outdoor picnics to a thrilling new plant show, we have a jam-packed lineup of events and programming for locals and visitors to explore throughout the season.”
