SLO Botanical Garden

Little Acorns - Fall 2026 Tuesdays!
2026-09-29 09:30 - 2026-11-17 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Play, learn, and grow with our NEW morning playgroup on Tuesday mornings! Join for games, songs, crafts and garden exploration just like our Wednesday group. Most importantly, make connections with nature and with other families at the SLO Botanical Garden. This program is geared toward children 0-5 and their parents. Older siblings are welcome!
Fall Session Tuesdays (09/29/26-11/17/26) from 9:30am – 11:30am
Session #1 09/29/26
Session #2 10/06/26
Session #3 10/13/26
Session #4 10/20/26
Session #5 10/27/26
Session #6 11/03/26
Session #7 11/10/26
Session #8 11/17/26

Cost: $60 for this 8-week long session along with current SLO Botanical Garden Membership. One registration per family.
Instructions for registration: This program is for SLOBG members with an additional cost of $60 per 8-week session. If you need to purchase or renew a membership, you can do so here and then follow the instructions below to register. If you’d like to apply for a scholarship, please email: faith@slobg.org by August 24th. Based on the number of requests and available funding, the final number of scholarships/partial scholarships will be determined on Tuesday, 09/01. Because Little Acorns tends to fill to capacity each season, a few spots have been saved. If you are DEFINITELY interested in attending, we recommend registering in advance to reserve your spot. Any received scholarship funding can be applied and refunded mid September.
This year, we are inviting one to two parents to support Dina, our new Lead Acorn instructor, as Little Acorn assistants. This requires a commitment to attend all sessions and support Little Acorns leads with set up, circle time and breakdown. Little Acorn assistants are eligible for waived registration fees. If this is of interest to you, please email: faith@slobg.org.
This new Little Acorns group is led by Dina Overland. We’re thrilled to have her at the Garden!
About Your Instructor:

Hi, I’m Dina!
I’m so excited to be leading a new session of Little Acorns! I love being outdoors and seeing the world through children’s eyes. I spent much of my son’s childhood exploring nature alongside him. And I have run a local nonprofit’s nature immersion program for young children (with plenty of support for their social-emotional growth and sensory needs) for several years.
A few fun facts about me: I think sunsets are magical, snails are my favorite animals, the beach and the desert are my happy places, and wildflower patches are where I happily lose track of time. I love backyard birding, gardening, and admiring red-tailed hawks soaring high overhead.
I can’t wait to explore alongside your little ones—whether we’re searching for bugs, listening to birds, or noticing the plants and flowers around us. Let’s slow down, get curious, and have fun connecting!

Please email: faith@slobg.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in the Garden!

Cake-a-palooza
2026-10-03 10:00 - 14:30 | San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Road, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93405, United States
Tickets are limited. Tickets are NON-refundable. Please review the following before purchasing tickets:

ALL attendees over 3 years of age must have TWO items to enter: 1) a ticket and 2) a whole cake (that meets the rules). Absolutely no exceptions (and no refunds). Children under 3 may attend for free, but are not allowed in the cake-cutting area.
No pets (except service animals).

Cake Rules (again, no exceptions!)
– Cakes must be at least 8” in diameter and 3” high.
– Cakes can be any flavor or style.|
– Dress (your cake) to impress. Bake (or buy) us your best. This is your chance to show off your best baking and decorating skills. We love a Costco cake as much as the next person, but this is not the time for that.|
– Bring a card or a sign listing your cake’s ingredients. If your cake has or doesn’t have allergens (gluten, nuts, dairy, eggs) – let us know that too.
– Cakes should be on a board, plate, or stand (no pans or trays). Bring your own server. Make sure everything is labeled!!
Event Rules:
– Cakes should be in place by 10:45 am
– There will be 15 minutes for cake viewing and picture taking before cake-cutting chaos ensues.
– Everyone gets a randomly assigned wristband at check-in. When cake-cutting time starts, we’ll pull a color at random, and that group will have 5 minutes to get cake!!! We’ll keep going until all groups have had a turn. Cake permitting, you will be allowed one re-entry after all groups have had a turn. If there is cake remaining — we’ll let people return.
– Cake chaos will begin at 11:15 am (ish!).
More Info:
We’ll have tables and chairs set up on the terraces and picnic tables throughout the garden. You are also welcome to bring your own blankets and choose a spot!
You can bring water bottles, small coolers, and/or picnic baskets. Outside alcohol is not permitted.
We’ll have beverages for sale, including the Garden’s signature Lavender Lemonade, Iced Tea, and Mimosas!
