*NOTE: This class will be held in the Japanese Tea House, located in the Gude Garden. No walk-ins will be accepted. Class size limited to 25 people.

Instructor: Charles Votaw

Tai Chi is an ancient, Chinese form of exercise perfect for adults seeking stress reduction while strengthening muscles, improving balance, and increasing flexibility. The Forms are repetitive patterns that emphasize slow, flowing motions and controlled movements. Classes will help beginners to learn the Forms while providing regular practitioners the guidance of an experienced instructor.

*NOTE: This class will be held in the Japanese Tea House, located in the Gude Garden. No walk-ins will be accepted. Class size limited to 25 people.

Instructor: Sherry Weber

These series of classes feature foundational yoga poses that are designed to support better breathing, walking, and space orientation. Yoga movements help build muscle, bone density and core strength while improving balance, posture, and flexibility. Mats are not included.

*NOTE: This class will be held in the Japanese Tea House, located in the Gude Garden. No walk-ins will be accepted. Class size limited to 25 people.

Instructor: Tanory Ateek

Enjoy yoga held in a peaceful setting under the cover of the Japanese Tea House. Designed to increase flexibility and physical strength and to cultivate mental focus, these classes are a beautiful and relaxing way to begin your weekend. Mats are not included.

Meet at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the Brookside Nature Center (1400 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902)

Brookside Nature Center & Brookside Gardens staff

Celebrate National Pollinator Week as we wander through an open meadow of beautiful perennials swarming with pollinators. Learn about mid-Atlantic native plants you can plant to help support beneficial insects while adding beauty.

Bring your little ones to this series of fun, garden-related yoga movement classes. Physical exercise and mindfulness will awaken your senses, boost your energy, and give you good garden vibes to start your day. Classes are outdoors and either moved indoors or canceled in cases of inclement weather. Bring your own mat or borrow one of ours. Adults must accompany children. Meet at the South Terrace.

Drag Story Hour is just what it sounds like! Drag performers reading stories to kids. DSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, children can see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish and where dress up is real.

Drag Story Hour at Brookside Gardens with Mx. Bella is a free program supported by Drag Story Hour DMV and Brookside Gardens to provide social connection, celebrate the cultural contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and share stories of inclusion. Community organizations will be on site with LGBTQ+ affirming resources for participants which will be available to the public after each performance.

Advanced registration is required for this event. All children must register and may be accompanied by up to 1 adult. Adults who are not accompanying a registered child will not be granted admission to the program at the Visitor Center auditorium.

Curious campers will investigate and explore Brookside Gardens to discover the fascinating plants and animals that make their homes here. Arts and crafts, games and gardening are all in a day’s fun as we spend time indoors and outdoors connecting with nature.

Calling all creative children who love to make art and don’t mind getting dirty! Explore the garden from an artist’s perspective through different artistic techniques and various media each day. From painting to gardening, campers will unleash their inner artists to craft works of art inspired by horticulture and nature.

Let us cultivate your children’s interest in the natural sciences with hands-on, inquiry based experiments and activities in a beautiful garden setting! Each day, campers will unlock the scientific mysteries found in the gardens through experiments, observations, games and more.

Take action and understand our impact on climate and the environment in this week-long camp. Each day will examine a different environmental issue through indoor and outdoor activities with a focus on actions you can take to make a positive change in the world around you. Campers will earn 10 SSL hours based on participation in the service component each day.

NOTE: Tuesday's performance has been POSTPONED due to the extreme heat advisory. The raindate for the performance is scheduled for Thursday, July 11 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Please check this webpage back for updates.

Delight in an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream where rom-com antics meet supernatural magic. Follow four couples through the human and fairy realms where true love is tested by Puck’s mischievous ploys. Picnics are welcome. There will not be a food truck onsite for the rescheduled date.

For more information, please visit: https://montgomeryparks.org/event/shakespeare-in-the-garden/

Join us each Tuesday evening in June for a series of musical performances set in the beauty of the Gardens! Admission is free, and no registration is required. Bring your friends and family, and don’t forget your chairs, blankets, and picnics (allowed in the Gardens on concert evenings only). Food trucks will also be available for your dining pleasure. No registration required.

Imagine a world where plant adaptations give gardens special super-powers or unlocked hidden talents! Expand your knowledge of botany and horticulture while activating your creativity and artistic skills. Thomas Crawley, an expert horticulturist, and cartoon enthusiast, leads this exploration of the science and art behind plant adaptations in the garden as you illustrate your own cartoon creatures adapted to extreme environments. Beginner scientists and beginner cartoonists between the ages of 8-12 welcome.

Join us for an interactive story time followed by an outdoor exploration or activity for children ages 3-7. We will meet in the outdoor classroom area located in the Children’s Garden, weather permitting. Adults must accompany children. Meet in the Outdoor Classroom located in the Children’s Garden area.