Second annual ‘Magic in the Garden’ to feature storytellers, games, concert

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s N.C. Botanical Garden is devoting the afternoon of May 22 to fanciful fun, as it hosts the second annual Magic in the Garden event.

Scheduled for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the free event is in partnership with the N.C. State University College of Design’s Early Childhood Outdoors Design Institute.

Activities will include a musical concert by Jimmy McGoo; storytellers Rebecca Ashburn, Claire Basney and Suzanne Mitchell; and an activity to create a wizard hat from natural materials.

Parents and children will learn how to build a natural "fairy home," and games will include cloud-watching, weaving clover chains, digging in the soil and searching for hidden jack-in-the-pulpits in the garden.

"Our goal is to provide a magical experience that celebrates the wonders of nature for parents and their young children," said education specialist Nancy Easterling. "Children have an inherent curiosity, excitement and fascination with the natural world, and through exploration, investigation and discovery they come to understand and appreciate how vital nature is to our lives."

The garden has worked during the past year to create additional family-friendly spaces, Easterling added.

Pre-registration is required for the event, which will take place rain or shine. For more information or to register, call (919) 962-0522.

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N.C. Botanical Garden contact: Nancy Easterling, (919) 962-0522