Botanica's BOOtanica festival has two weekends left in Wichita

Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, has two weekends of Halloween festivities left for families looking for fall fun near downtown.

The gardens at 701 N. Amidon St. transformed into "BOOtanica" for three weekends in October. The first wrapped up Saturday, Oct. 10, but the festival returns returns Oct. 16–17 and Oct. 23–24.

Admission is $17 for adults, $10 for children ages 3 to 11 and free for children 2 and under. Tickets sell online or at the door.

"It's a lot of fun, lot of activities happening during the day, then we turn the lights off at night and everything goes up to 100 … The woodlands? Scary," Lynette Zimmerman, executive director of Botanica, told KWCH in a report published Saturday, Oct. 10.

Each weekend features pumpkin carving, face painting, live entertainment and a Scarecrow Row Competition where visitors can view the entries and vote for their favorites. BOOtanica Bingo runs at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. in the Koi Pond Pavilion, and Flying Pig Improv performs "Phantom Fables" in the Beverly Blue Garden from 6 to 10 p.m.

Wichita State University's School of Performing Arts stages BOOtanical Shakespeare from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and a Fall Family Movie Lounge offers screenings on the Terrace Patio from 7 to 10 p.m.

Saturday afternoons add Ghosts in the Garden Story Time at the Children's Garden Amphitheater at 3 p.m. and a cornhole tournament on the Grand Lawn at 3 p.m.

Live entertainment rotates nightly, according to Botanica's event page. The Wonderers perform Friday, Oct. 16. 80 Proof Alice takes the stage Saturday, Oct. 17. DJ Carbon spins Friday, Oct. 23, with a costume contest at 8 p.m. Wichita Children's Theatre and Dance Company performs on the final night of the festival Saturday, Oct. 24, with shows at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Botanica's event page lists trick-or-treating at stations throughout the gardens for Friday, Oct. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 24.

Remaining BOOtanica dates: