This year’s theme is centered on the importance of wildlife in the native garden. Experts from the Xerces Society, Audubon Society, Tribal Alliance for Pollinators, and Bat Conservation International will be among the day’s speakers.

The keynote speaker will be horticulturalist and head of grounds at Dyck Arboretum, Kaitlin Schmidt.

There will also be a book signing by Oklahoma City landscape architects, Connie Scothorn and Brian Patric, who co-authored, Oklahoma Native Plants: For People and Pollinators. Scothorn says about the festival, “To support this year's festival theme ‘Gardening for Wildlife’, the festival is timed perfectly with the monarch migration! It’s a wonderful reminder of how important it is to plant for these beautiful butterflies, helping them on their journey south and encouraging them to return next spring.”

Just in time for the fall planting season, 16 native plant sellers will have booths with seedlings and mature plants available for purchase. Joshua Platter, owner of new nursery, Prairie Flora, is excited for collaboration possibilities. "This fall festival could be the only event where the speakers, vendors and attendees truly share a common purpose. Planting native plants is planting native habitat: the scaffolding of our entire ecosystem.”

The event that drew 1,000 attendees in the fall of 2023 and over 3,000 this spring hopes to continue to spread the word concerning the importance of landscaping with plants that are indigenous to Oklahoma.

Non-profits including Okies for Monarchs, The Oklahoma Native Plant Society, and Yard by Yard/Soil Conservation Commission will be some of the booths filled with helpful information to further encourage and connect native plant enthusiasts.

Eastside Farmer’s Market, Flora Bodega, and NEOKC Farmer’s Market will be on hand to keep attendees fueled with healthy, locally grown food. Folks are encouraged to carpool, bring a cart to transport plants, as well as a refillable water bottle.

For more information and a full list of vendors, non-profits, and speaker schedule, please visit ONPN.org.