AutumnFest

Vibrant views and the red-tinted golden hues of Autumn make this a perfect season to visit our beautiful Botanic Garden.

Join us for the first ever AutumnFest on Saturday 30 September, 11.00am onwards.

This event is free and open to the public. However, registration via Eventbrite is highly recommended to guarantee access.

We’ve lined up some fantastic activities, workshops, food and entertainment for all ages. More will be announced soon, so be sure to check back here.

Enjoy live music throughout the day, with special performances by Leicester-based band, King Brasstards.
Tickle your taste buds with delicious food and drink available to purchase all day, provided by our catering partners, Leicester Services Partnership and other local traders.
Join in with some exciting Bhangra Active dance workshops and learn some new dance moves with award-winning performer, Sohan Kailey.
Keep the little ones entertained with our giant bouncy castle, outdoor games and face-painting workshops.
Get to know a bit more about the site with guided tours, courtesy of our community of local experts.
Our very own Attenborough Arts Centre will be bringing you the best of creative crafts and autumn-themed activities.
Take advantage of our popular plant sale, featuring a wide selection of stunning seasonal plants.

Be sure to join our Alumni Engagement Team who are holding the following sessions in Beaumont House, within the Botanic Garden!

Professor of Education, Rose Griffiths, will use maths to make and play in this interactive activity. Can you fit a shop in a box? Come and try our little shops? Which one is your favourite? (For children aged 5 to 11 to find out more about money).
Our academics from the Department of Chemistry are making liquid nitrogen ice cream, as they celebrate their 100 years in 2025!
How long can corals live? Join the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment to estimate how old a 4.5m massive coral colony is. Prints of coral X-ray images will be provided to show the coral growth pattern and participants will be able to calculate the growth rate by measuring total growth length and counting the years of growth.
Join a ChangeMaker talk from the following academics!
- Professor Jeremy Howick: Why empathy is a blockbuster drug
- Dr Hollie Marshall: Using the genetics of bees and fleas to understand global issues
- Dr Ngozi Emmanuel: The representation of disability in cinema
- Dr Sandy Kilpatrick: Fuels, plastics and Gucci perfume: How chemists seek to turn captured carbon into useful products

Learn more about the Alumni and friends day.

All this and much more!

Access and parking information

The Botanic Garden is situated about three miles south-east of Leicester city centre, opposite Leicester Racecourse. The visitor entrance is on Glebe Road, LE2 2LD. How to find the Botanic Garden.

Free parking will be available on Leicester Racecourse (Leicester Road, LE2 4AL), a short walk from the Botanic Garden. Limited street parking will be available around the Gardens throughout the day too.

Free parking will also be offered at the University of Leicester campus (University Road, LE1 7RH). Bus services operate from campus to the Botanic Garden.

Contact

For further information, please contact the Events Team, events@le.ac.uk.