Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Oct. 25, 2025
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Join the staff and volunteers of SFA Gardens for a fun-packed, free, family event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the gardens. Visit the Mast Arboretum, Jim and Beth Kingham Children’s Garden, Gayla Mize Garden, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Pineywoods Native Plant Center and the Jimmy Hinds Park between 10:00 a.m. and noon to participate in scavenger hunts to discover and learn about some of the treasures you can find in the gardens. Then come to the Pineywoods Native Plant Center (2900 Raguet Street, Nacogdoches) between noon and 2 p.m. for arts and crafts, fun educational activities, live music, and of course, cake! Individuals or families who participate in the scavenger hunt will be eligible for prizes during the afternoon celebration. Visit the SFA Gardens “museum” in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building where photographs and other memorabilia from the past 40 years of the SFA Gardens will be on display.
What began as a one-quarter acre living laboratory on the side of the Agriculture Building for SFA students taking horticulture classes, has blossomed to include six themed gardens encompassing 138 acres. SFA faculty in art, biology, education, environmental science, forestry, horticulture and kinesiology hold classes and labs in the gardens where their students can experience the natural ecosystems found in East Texas as well as cultivated species from around the world. SFA Gardens, a part of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, provides research opportunities for faculty and students at SFA and other universities. The SFA Gardens Environmental Education Program hosts outdoor learning activities for over a thousand school-aged children from the East Texas region in the gardens each year.
Nacogdoches has earned the title “Garden Capital of Texas” due in large part to the SFA Gardens’ extensive collection of ornamental shrubs and trees, native plant demonstration gardens, and rare trees, shrubs, vines and perennials. The SFA Gardens attracts thousands of visitors to Nacogdoches each year, particularly in spring for the azalea blooms and in fall for the colorful foliage. In 2024, the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and the Gayla Mize Garden were ranked in the top ten things to do in Nacogdoches by Tripadvisor. The SFA Gardens is largely supported through endowments, memberships, gifts, grants, and donations. Take this opportunity to visit the gardens and celebrate the 40th anniversary of SFA Gardens with staff and volunteers.
For more information call 936.468.4129 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.