Visitors to a previous Garden Fest sample and vote for their favorite locally grown tomatoes. Photo by Rick Bogren.

Garden Fest blooms at Burden this weekend

This Saturday, June 17, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden will present its annual Garden Fest, offering visitors a chance to taste farm-fresh fruits and veggies, take hayrides, sample seasonal dishes, and learn about plants and gardening. It’s the first of several botanical adventures that the site will host this summer.

The Garden Fest festivities begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday as the Louisiana Egg Commission prepares and serves omelets to early-bird guests, who can also enjoy bloody marys courtesy of Mason’s Grill from 9 to 10 a.m. Hungrier patrons can check out food trucks by Taco de Paco, City Gelato and Ninja Snowballs. Throughout the event, which ends at 1 p.m., LSU AgCenter Food Incubator companies will offer samples of their savory fare, and educational sessions will take place every half-hour between 9 and 11 a.m. A plant health clinic will allow visitors to get their botanical problems diagnosed by AgCenter experts. Children can bring their swimsuits and enjoy waterslides, and Trixie the Clown will be around to entertain guests as well.

For more information and to see a schedule of education programs, visit lsu.edu/botanic-gardens.