Arboretum Expo: Tree Day! + Plant Sale

Arboretum Expo Kick-off Event Friday, September 11th: Music Among the Trees!

Saturday, September 12th, 2026 - Arboretum Expo: Tree Day + Plant Sale

A community celebration of trees and the many exciting things happening in the Arboretum lands! Join us for tours of the grounds, trails, gardens, research projects, tree climbing demonstrations, and an in-person plant sale. Take home an interesting woody plant, grown in the Arboretum greenhouse and tended to by our dedicated staff and volunteers.

Click here to view the 2026 Plant Sale list

The Arboretum Expo will be held on the West Lawn, the Park and in The Arboretum Centre, with announcements and performances at the Gazebo!

Gazebo Events and Performances
10:00 AM	Opening and Land Acknowledgment	Join us in welcoming our guests, explaining event details, and thanking our generous sponsors of the event.
10:45 AM	Music in the Gardens	Join Peter Skoggard and Dianne Chapitis in the Italian Garden for a 10-minute musical performance inspired by the serene Italian Garden.
11:00 AM	Wild Ontario	Wild Ontario is an environmental and science education program in the College of Biological Science at the University of Guelph. Through their educational activities both on-campus and in the community, they work to foster connections with nature and an interest in science. Wild Ontario provide a long-term home and purpose for permanently injured birds-of-prey as educational ambassadors of their species. Join WO and their feathered friends at the Gazebo for an educational program about birds-of-prey with the chance to see these birds up close!
11:30 AM	Music in the Gardens	Join Peter Skoggard and Dianne Chapitis in front of the Sedna statue by the Japanese Garden for a 10-minute musical performance inspired by the story of Sedna, the inuit goddess of the sea and marine animals.
11:45 AM	Land Heart Song	Land Heart Song is Tiiu Strutt, a songwriter and educator passionate about singing songs that support families in nurturing their love for nature. Land Heart Song’s performances spark wonder and joy, inspiring everyone in the family to sing along and deepen their relationship with the natural world. Join Tiiu in connecting to nature through music and fostering our innate curiosity and wonder about the natural world!
12:45 PM	Music in the Gardens	Join Peter Skoggard and Dianne Chapitis in the Japanese Garden for a 10-minute musical performance inspired by the Japanese Garden.
1:00 PM	GUFF Henry Kock Tree Stewardship Award	Henry Kock Stewardship Award- Henry was known for his dedication to growing, protecting and advocating for trees and their natural environment. In his work at the Arb, he developed many programs including the Elm Recovery Program. Henry was cherished for his wisdom, integrity and mentorship, and each year we honour another member of our community who embodies these characteristics in their stewardship of our trees. Join us for the announcement of the 2025 winner and presentation of the Award Certificate.
1:15 PM	Tree Climbing Demonstration	Join a certified arborist and tree worker as they showcase different climbing techniques, highlighting the importance of these practices in maintaining healthy ecosystems!
1:45 PM	Music in the Gardens	Join Peter Skoggard and Dianne Chapitis in the English Garden for a 10-minute musical performance inspired by the English Garden.
2:00 PM	Elderly Brothers Garage Band	Join us for a live musical performance of the Elderly Brothers Garage Band! A little bit classic country and a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll. We’ll have you leaving with a smile on your face and a tune in your heart.

Campus and Community Organization Booths
UoG Roots and Shoots Club	Guelph Climate Action Network
UoG Wildlife Club	Guelph Public Library Book Mobile
Wildlife Preservation Canada	Forest History Ontario
Nature Guelph	Seniors for Climate Action Now
Guelph-Wellington Master Gardeners	Guelph Hiking Trail Club
Guelph Tree Trust	Yorklands Greenhub
Urban Park Guelph	eMerge
Ignatius Jesuit Centre Guelph	KW Astronomy Club
Queers in Nature	Guelph Coalition for Active Transport
World Wildlife Fun Canada Re:Grow	Pollination Guelph
Green Legacy	Beavers Canada
Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming	Trees for Guelph
OPIRG Guelph	City of Guelph Natural Area Stewardship
City of Guelph Parks & Healthy Landscapes

Vendors
Food Vendors	Vendors
Lost Aviator Cafe	Linoptera
Fo Cheezy Food Truck	Metallic Evolution
Campus Bakery	Curious World Books
	Ars Alia

Tours (departure time from the West Lawn)
10:30 AM	Kids Hike	Ben Hartshorn and Lilly Curtis-Norcross
11:00 AM	Guelph Trial Garden Tour	Rodger Tschanz and Joseph Langlois
11:30 AM	Horticultural Tour	TBD
12:00 PM	Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming Tour	Mike Smith and Joseph Langlois
12:00 PM	Nokom's House Research Centre Site Visit	Nokom's House staff, faculty and students
12:30 PM	Monarch Butterfly Tagging	Joseph Langlois
1:30 PM	Honeybee Research Centre Tour	Janet Tam
2:00 PM	Naturalist Tour (TBD)	John Tarbush
2:30 PM	Gosling Wildlife Garden Tour	Nature Guelph

Guelph Trial Gardens
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM	Open House
11:00 AM	Tour of the Guelph Trial Gardens

Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farm
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM	Open House
12:00 PM	Tour of the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming
1:00 PM	Terrific Tomatoes: Expert tomato growing tips, tricks, tasting and seed saving 101

Nokom's House Research Centre
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM	Gather at the Sacred Fire to visit and have a tea tasting
12:00 PM	Nokom's House Research Centre Site Visit. Tour departing from the Arboretum West Lawn.