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Larry A. Sagers Regional Horticultural Specialist Utah State University Extension Service Thanksgiving Point Office © All Rights Reserved
Red Butte Garden presents its annual Holiday Open House and Arts and Crafts Fair, Saturday and Sunday, December 6 & 7, 2003 from 3-8 pm. Some of Utah’s finest artists and crafters will be presenting their original work for sale just in time for holiday gift giving.
December 6 & 7 are Red Butte Garden Gift Days and admission is free for the public thanks to Salt Lake County voters and Zoo, Arts, and Parks funding.
Here are some of the items you can find at the Holiday Open House: pressed flower cards and candles, stained glass, wildlife etchings and prints, watercolor and oil paintings, botanical jewelry, glass art, soaps, lotions, birdhouses, planters, animals and flower paper collage, pottery, floral arrangements, topiary, photography, wooden bowls, beaded jewelry, special vinegars, and music CD’s.
Winter Solstice Festival Celebrates the Return of the Sun
Red Butte Garden presents the 3rd annual Winter Solstice Festival, Saturday, December 20, 3 – 8 pm at 300 Wakara Way in Salt Lake City. The Winter Solstice Festival will celebrate early holiday and Celtic traditions with storytelling, dance, music, garden nature walks, star gazing, bell ringing ceremony, fortune telling, and craft making.
Below is a guide to plants used for decoration and their symbolism:
Evergreens Symbolizing: Continuity of Life, Protection, Prosperity Types: Pine, Fir, Cedar, Juniper, other evergreens Forms: boughs, wreaths, garlands, trees Traditions: Roman, Celtic, Teutonic, Christian
Holly Symbolizing: Old Solar Year; Waning Sun; Protection; Good Luck Forms: boughs over portals, wreaths Traditions: Roman, Celtic, English, Christian
Oak Symbolizing: New Solar Year, Waxing Sun, Strength, Triumph, Protection, Good Luck Forms: Yule log, acorns, wood for sacred fires Traditions: Teutonic, Celtic, Christian
Ivy Symbolizing: Fidelity, Protection, Healing, Marriage, Victory, Honor, Good Luck Forms: crowns, wreaths, garlands Traditions: Greek, Roman, English, Christian
Wheat Symbolizing: Sustenance, Abundance, Fertility, Good Luck Forms: grain, straw figures and symbols, cookies, cakes, breads Traditions: Roman, Celtic, Scots, Teutonic, Swedish, Christian
The Festival will also celebrate the beauty of plants, gifts of nature, and the return of the sun. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children, $3 for Garden Members, and $1 off with a can of food for the Utah Food Bank.
With over 150 acres of garden and natural area, Red Butte Garden at the University of Utah is the largest botanical and ecological center within a 400-mile radius that tests, displays and interprets regional horticulture.
Red Butte Garden is open year round for visitors to walk through the gardens or hike through the natural area. The Garden also offers four seasons of educational and recreational programs, including concerts, festivals, kids programs, nature outings, classes and workshops. For more information, visit Red Butte Garden’s website at www.redbuttegarden.org or call (801) 581- IRIS.
