Cooktown Botanic Gardens Open Day 2024

Rediscover the magic of Cooktown Botanic Gardens, as part of Botanic Gardens Day 2024

From live music and face painting to guided tours and art opportunities, there really is something for everyone to enjoy. So pack a picnic and kick back in the gardens.

Festivities and activities include:

• Live music (program below)
• Guided tours of the Gardens 
• Scarecrow Competition (details below)
• Face painting 
• Giant outdoor games
• A scavenger hunt 
• Colouring-in competition 10am - 2pm
• Social Cricket on Queen's Oval

DATE: Sunday 26 May 2024
TIME: 10 am - 3 pm
PLACE: Cooktown Botanic Gardens

PROGRAM

ALL DAY (10am – 3pm)

• Scarecrow display 
• Scavenger Hunt
• Colouring in competition
• Giant Games
• Cricket Match

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

10am  –Cairns Concert Orchestra

10am  – Guided Tour of the Gardens with Curator Nikko Menzel

12pm – Winners of the Scarecrow competition announced

12.30pm  – Bernie’s Jazz Band

2pm  – Guided Tour of the Gardens with Curator Nikko Menzel

10am  – 2pm – Face Painting

10am – 2pm – Pick and Paint – choose inspiration from a plant, tree or flower in the gardens and then be creative and paint your own canvas of it. Materials supplied.

SCARECROW competition GUIDELINES AND TERMS

• Free to enter
• Open to everyone – kids, families, groups, businesses, schools, individuals, adults
• Each scarecrow must be self-supporting and freestanding
• Scarecrows must not exceed 1.5m in height
• Scarecrows must be able to handle the Cooktown wind, with all parts securely attached
• Scarecrows must be built from scratch by the entrant – no commercial or purchased scarecrows allowed
• You can use any materials you like to build your scarecrow, there are no restrictions – with just one exception: pre-moulded or commercially available face masks ARE NOT permitted.
• Judges will be looking for creativity and originality. Judges will be looking for scarecrows with that little bit extra, it may be the materials used, the way the scarecrow has been made, how the scarecrow is displayed, or simply a fantastic idea that catches the judges eye.
• The judges will be looking for the scarecrow that is most likely to scare a crow!
• Prize for the best overall scarecrow
• All Scarecrows must be made and displayed in good taste. Any entrant designing their scarecrow to cause deliberate offence will be disqualified.
• You will need to bring your scarecrow to the Botanic Gardens by 9.30am on Sunday 26 May. Scarecrows will be displayed in the Botanic Gardens for up to two weeks. It will be the responsibility of the scarecrow owner to collect their scarecrow by Friday 7 June, otherwise it will be disposed of.