Seed Sowing Lecture & Seed Swap
2024-01-28 12:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join us January 28th at the Oak Park Conservatory to celebrate National Seed Swap Day and honor the great U.S. tradition of swapping seeds with neighbors. You can attend a free in-person lecture and then browse a selection of herbs, vegetables, floral, perennial, and native seeds. We will have volunteers on hand to guide you in getting your garden off to a good start! Please label your seed donations with the variety, source, and year when possible.
Sign up for the Seed Sowing Lecture at noon HERE.
Registration for just the Seed Swap from 1-3 PM is not required. Please check in at the table in the Lobby of the Oak Park Conservatory to drop off your seeds and then select some new ones.

Lecture: Growing Onions
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Ready to add a flavor-packed pantry staple to your garden this year? Onions are a fantastic addition to a home garden and a key ingredient in many delicious recipes!
Join us for this free, virtual lecture to learn all about growing your own onions. We’ll discuss starting from sets or seeds, choosing the right variety for you, and how to care for this versatile vegetable in the upcoming season. Whether you’ve planted onions in the past or are considering growing them for the first time, this lecture will have essential tips to help you have a healthy crop and plenty of produce to enjoy.
Our presenter Zack Bell is a Local Foods and Small Farms Extension Educator housed in Cook County, Unit 6 where he focuses on urban agriculture production programming for a diverse group of stakeholders.
Zack educates, conducts research, and provides technical assistance in small-scale intensive and urban ag food production systems in Chicagoland and beyond. He is also currently working with the quarter-acre South Suburban Cook Urban Agriculture demonstration and research site.
This is a FREE, virtual event. A Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants on the day of the lecture.
Register HERE.

TET (Toddler Exploration Time): 2023/2024
2024-02-23 09:30 - 11:15, 2024-03-15 09:30 - 11:15 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Young learners (18 months – 5 years) will be delighted with stories, lessons, and crafts led by FOPCON’s education docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Each month is a different topic. Advanced registration for 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15 is required. Limited to 30 children and their caregivers. FREE.
Themes:
Friday, September 22, 2023. Fall Fun. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, October 20, 2023. Creepy Crawlies. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, November 17, 2023. Who’s Eating Whooo? Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, January 19, 2024. BRRR! Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, February 23, 2024. In the Desert. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, March 15, 2024. Whoosh. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.

2024 KidsFest
2024-04-21 10:00 - 12:30 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Enjoy Earth Day at the Conservatory! Join us for KidsFest, the popular family event sponsored by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory.
Celebrate the wonders of our planet with activities presented by our partners from Trailside Museum, the University of IL Extension, Brookfield Zoo, and the Oak Park Public Library. Encounter live bats from the Flying Fox Conservation Fund.
Tickets are required for this free event.
10 am: Register HERE
10:30 am: Register HERE
11 am: Register HERE
11:30 am: Register HERE
Noon: Register HERE

Story Time at the Conservatory
2024-05-22 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-05-29 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-06-05 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-06-12 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-06-19 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-06-26 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-07-03 10:00 - 10:30, 2024-07-10 10:00 - 10:30 and 10 more dates | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Every Wednesday enjoy stories, songs, and puppets led by our volunteer docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Enjoy story time in the garden during the summer months.
NEW: Bilingual Story Time on the first Wednesday of each month.

This program is presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Free with a suggested $5 donation at the door.

Uncorked June 2024
2024-06-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
This year’s Uncorked planning committee has been busy pulling together a great summer lineup for our community. Lots of new musicians, artisans, and food, plus some of our favorites from the past. This is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks with friends outdoors at the Oak Park Conservatory. Join us in the Rubinstein Garden under the night sky from 6:00-8:00PM. Admission includes two drink tickets and an appetizer. Ages 21+
Tickets are $20. Please register in advance online at pdop.org to reserve your spot. FOPCON members receive a 10% discount. Contact director@fopcon.org for a discount code prior to registering.
June 28: Register HERE.
Music by Tim Coan. Local artisan: Olive and Well. Food by Happy Apple Pie Shop.
July 26: Register HERE.
Music by Szurko Trio. Local artisan: River Forest Chocolates. Food by Kribi Coffee/Buzz Cafe.
August 23: Register HERE.
Music by Tom Lowery Trio. Local artisan: Todd and Holland Tea. Food by Empanadus.
September 27: Register HERE.
Music by Victoria Storm. Local artisan: Bead In Hand. Food by Trattoria 225.

Uncorked July 2024
2024-07-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
This year’s Uncorked planning committee has been busy pulling together a great summer lineup for our community. Lots of new musicians, artisans, and food, plus some of our favorites from the past. This is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks with friends outdoors at the Oak Park Conservatory. Join us in the Rubinstein Garden under the night sky from 6:00-8:00PM. Admission includes two drink tickets and an appetizer. Ages 21+
Tickets are $20. Please register in advance online at pdop.org to reserve your spot. FOPCON members receive a 10% discount. Contact director@fopcon.org for a discount code prior to registering.
July 26: Register HERE.
Music by Szurko Trio. Local artisan: River Forest Chocolates. Food by Kribi Coffee/Buzz Cafe.
August 23: Register HERE.
Music by Tom Lowery Trio. Local artisan: Todd and Holland Tea. Food by Empanadus.
September 27: Register HERE.
Music by Victoria Storm. Local artisan: Bead In Hand. Food by Trattoria 225.

Lecture: How to Plant Bulbs for Spring Blooms
2024-08-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Thursday, Aug 22
7:00-8:00P
Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory to learn about the basics of planting fall bulbs for spring blooms at this free, virtual event. Participants will learn when and how to plant bulbs, how to select bulbs for your garden, and how many you need for a full effect. Ask your questions on growing bulbs and how to get started. A Zoom link will be sent out to participants on the day of the lecture.
Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory (FOPCON)
This is a FREE, virtual event. A Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants on the day of the lecture.
Register HERE.

Uncorked August 2024
2024-08-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
This year’s Uncorked planning committee has been busy pulling together a great summer lineup for our community. Lots of new musicians, artisans, and food, plus some of our favorites from the past. This is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks with friends outdoors at the Oak Park Conservatory. Join us in the Rubinstein Garden under the night sky from 6:00-8:00PM. Admission includes two drink tickets and an appetizer. Ages 21+
Tickets are $20. Please register in advance online at pdop.org to reserve your spot. FOPCON members receive a 10% discount. Contact director@fopcon.org for a discount code prior to registering.
August 23: Register HERE.
Music by Tom Lowery Trio. Local artisan: Todd and Holland Tea. Food by Empanadus.
September 27: Register HERE.
Music by Victoria Storm. Local artisan: Bead In Hand. Food by Trattoria 225.

Fall Plant and Tool Exchange
2024-09-08 09:30 - 11:30 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join other gardeners and share your favorite plants and tools at the Fall Plant and Tool Exchange, presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Save your garden plastic pots and drop them off at our Garden Pot Return so they can be reused and kept out of landfills. Please bring at least one plant to participate in the plant exchange. Drop off, 9:30-10:30A. Pick up, 11:00-11:30A. Ages 18+
Register HERE.

Lecture: Native Shrubs Belong in Every Garden
2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Thursday, Sept 19
7:00-8:00P
Not only do native shrubs provide a great backdrop for other plants in your garden, but they can also stabilize the soil, help sequester carbon, and help create a habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies. Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory as we welcome Adrian Ayres Fisher from West Cook Wild Ones to learn about native shrubs and alternatives to those that are invasive.
About Adrian:
Adrian Ayres Fisher educates about and advocates for native-plant gardening, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity. With degrees in English and education and training in botany, horticulture and natural-area restoration, she has been gardening with native plants for over thirty years. She is a long-standing board member of West Cook Wild Ones, where she is co-chair of programs and advocacy. She also serves as volunteer site steward of the 75-acre National Grove Woods Forest Preserve in Riverside, Illinois, where she manages volunteer restoration projects. Formerly she was a sustainability coordinator at a community college.
This is a FREE, virtual event. A Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants on the day of the lecture.
Register HERE.

TET (Toddler Exploration Time): 2024/2025
2024-09-20 09:30 - 11:15 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Young learners (18 months – 5 years) will be delighted with stories, lessons, and crafts led by FOPCON’s education docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Each month is a different topic. Advanced registration for 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15 is required. Limited to 30 children and their caregivers. FREE.
Themes:
Friday, September 20, 2024. Apples. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, October 18, 2024. Nightlife. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, November 15, 2024. Harvest. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, January 17, 2025. Snowflakes. Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, February 21, 2025. Who’s Up, Who’s Not? Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
Friday, March 21, 2025. What’s Hatching? Register HERE for 9:30. Register HERE for 10:30.
