Wave Hill - Bees, Butterflies & Blooms Weekend

Tri-State Events

Sponsored By: Wave Hill

AUGUST 12-13, 2023
10AM–5PM

Praise the pollinators! Celebrate the winged creatures who beautify our gardens and put food on our tables. Wave Hill is home to many different pollinators, including native bees, butterflies and our resident honeybees. Spend the day chatting with naturalists and beekeepers, visiting our honeybee hives, creating art, joining walks to see pollinators in action and more. The gardens are full of flowers, so expect to see a bounty of butterflies snacking on plants. Swing by The Shop to purchase tasty honey, beeswax candles and a host of bee and butterfly-themed gifts.

Hives and Honey Headquarters
Sat, August 12, 2023, 11:00AM–4:00PM
Sun, August 13, 2023, 11:00AM–4:00PM
Free with admission to the grounds Chat with beekeepers Mufti Ahmed, Pam Golben and Junior Schouten. Peek inside an empty hive, check out live bees in an observation hive (weather permitting) and learn fascinating facts about honeybees.

Meet the Butterflies
Sat, August 12, 2023, 11:00AM–3:00PM
Sun, August 13, 2023, 11:00AM–3:00PM
Free with admission to the grounds
Meet butterfly experts from the Tenafly Nature Center as they showcase a collection of beautifully colored butterflies and their caterpillars, sipping nectar, taking flight and munching on their favorite plants. Learn about the life cycle of butterflies and their importance to our ecosystem. Visit a butterflies' mini habitat tent and ask questions or simply relax and enjoy the space while butterflies flit and fly about.

Native Pollinator Walk
Sat, August 12, 2023, 11:00–11:45AM; 1–1:45PM
Sun, August 13, 2023, 11:00–11:45AM; 1–1:45PM
Free with admission to the grounds
Flowers attract the attention of both human and animal visitors. Honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies are easily spotted in the garden, but solitary bees, beetles and other native pollinators are often overlooked. With net in hand, naturalist Chris Kreussling scours the garden for all sorts of hard-working pollinators, offering a close-up look at a variety of insects before returning them to their pollinating duties. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult.

Nature Detectives: Pollinator Walk for Families
Sat, August 12, 2023, 1:00–2:00PM
Sun, August 13, 2023, 1:00–2:00PM
Free with admission to the grounds
Join environmental educator Olivia Kalin on an expedition to find colorful butterflies, busy bees and other creature pollinators and their favorite flowers. Appropriate for ages five to nine with an adult companion. Space is limited.

Summer Birding
Sun, August 13, 2023, 9:30–11AM
$15; including admission to the grounds
Registration required, online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251
Naturalists and Audubon guides Paul Keim or Gabriel Willow lead birders through the gardens and woodlands to seek out summer birds. Observe the plants, insects and habitats at Wave Hill that make it so appealing for such a wide variety of birds. A limited number of binoculars, monoculars and walking sticks are available to borrow at the Perkins Visitor Center. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult.

Public Garden Highlights Walk
Sun, August 13, 2023, 2–2:45PM
Free with admission to the grounds
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide--come back for an encore; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. This walk lasts a half-hour to 45 minutes. Severe weather cancels.

More information and registration available at Wave Hill Bees, Butterflies & Blooms