CLASSIC CAR SHOW
2026-06-07 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Iowa Arboretum & Gardens, 1875 Peach Avenue, MADRID, IA, 50156
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026 11am to 2pm ~ Bring your classic car to show or just show up and marvel at the classic beauties lining our lot and grounds! Food trucks will be on hand so you can have a bite while you peruse the collection. BRINGING A CAR TO SHOW? Arrive between 10 -10:45am to get set up.

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-06-09 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring the award winning WEARY RAMBLERS! Food trucks open at 5pm. $10/Members; $15/General Public BUY A SEASON TICKET AND SAVE! Get 4 concert admissions for the price of 3!
BUY SEASON TICKETS HERE
Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-07-14 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring RYTHMIC REWIND! Food trucks open at 5pm. Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!

Trial Program Field Day
2026-08-08 10:00 - 16:00
YOU ARE INVITED! Join the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens Trial Program for their third annual Field Day! The Trial Garden will be open from 10am to 4pm with special programs all day, information listed below. Pre-registration is required, please RSVP by August 1, 2026.

RSVP HERE

Participate in evaluating perennials and shrubs in the trial garden. Walk the garden to check out soon to be available varieties and let us know your favorites! Evaluation generally takes around 25-30 minutes; you are then welcome to walk the grounds on the West Side of the arboretum for free.
Details: Members of the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens gain free admission to the grounds and event. American Horticultural Society (AHS) Garden Network Program (GNP) members receive complimentary general admission and admission to event for those listed on the card only. General admission information to be announced. *Golf cart service is available for persons needing assistance.
Background: Due to the unique climate in Central Iowa, the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens established an ornamental trial garden for the categories of herbaceous perennials and shrubs in the Spring of 2023. This public-facing trial garden provides beauty, education, and outreach to the people of Iowa in a form viewable to the public, allowing for year-round visibility and observation of these plants. The Public Evaluation Day helps us in several ways. First, we get to hear from you, the consumer, about what plants you want in your garden. Second, we expose the Central Iowa public to the breadth of plants that are available to you while testing their long-term performance. Help us help you garden better!

Learn more about the trial program here

Program:
Adapting Gardens for a Changing Climate: Building Biodiversity Through Plant Diversity – David McKinney, Curator of Collections and Grounds, Iowa Arboretum & Gardens
Over the past century, our cities and suburbs and rural areas have been transformed, leaving few landscapes that resemble their original habitats. True ecological restoration is often out of reach—and climate change is making it even harder. As native plants bloom earlier or for shorter periods, critical gaps in nectar and habitat threaten the pollinators and wildlife that depend on them.
Yet there is hope. Join us for an engaging lecture on how diverse plant selections can build stronger, more resilient urban ecosystems. Drawing on 30 years of phenological data and more, we’ll explore how climate change affects native plants’ ability to support pollinators and identify additional criteria—beyond native vs non-native—for evaluating a plant’s ecological value. We’ll review climate-adaptive midwestern native species and explore how expanding native ranges, along with thoughtfully adding select non-natives, can fill ecological gaps and enhance biodiversity in urban environments.
The talk will also address emerging pest threats, highlighting why plant diversity is essential to the health of our urban and suburban landscapes. You’ll gain practical strategies on adapting to shifting plant ranges, choosing species with real ecological benefits, and creating gardens that sustain pollinators and wildlife in a changing climate.

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-08-11 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring THE NADAS! Food trucks open at 5pm. Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-09-08 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring FAT TUESDAY & THE GREASEFIRE HORNS! Food trucks open at 5pm. Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!
