The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is inviting families, runners and nature enthusiasts to participate in a community fundraiser this fall that will help support the development of a new interactive children’s garden.

The inaugural FWBG Family Fun Run is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The event will feature a one-mile course through the garden’s grounds and is open to runners, walkers, families with strollers and participants of all ages and fitness levels. Dogs are also welcome to participate.

Following the run, attendees can enjoy family-friendly activities, including yoga sessions, live music, food trucks and children’s entertainment. Participants wearing their official event T-shirts will receive complimentary admission to the botanic garden for the remainder of the day.

Proceeds from the event will support construction of the Baker Martin Family Garden, a two-acre addition that represents the first major expansion of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden under its 20-year master plan.

The new attraction is designed to encourage children and families to engage with nature through interactive exhibits and outdoor play. Plans include 11 themed nature areas, a 150-foot shallow creek, a Texas pond habitat, open lawns, educational spaces and a LEED-certified Discovery Center that will host programs and activities throughout the year.

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Garden officials said the project emphasizes accessibility and intergenerational experiences, with features including family restrooms, shaded seating areas, a dedicated parents’ room and no additional admission charge beyond regular garden entry.

The Baker Martin Family Garden was designed by Terra Design Studios, a landscape architecture firm known for creating family-focused gardens throughout the United States. The garden is scheduled to open to Fort Worth Botanic Garden members in mid-November 2026, with a public grand opening planned for late March 2027.

Registration for the Family Fun Run is available through Sept. 16. Adult registration ranges from $40 to $45, depending on the registration period, while children’s registration costs between $30 and $35. Registration for dogs is also available, and children age 2 and younger may participate free of charge. Garden members receive discounted registration.

No walk-up registration will be available on race day.

Located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is the oldest public botanic garden in Texas. The 120-acre campus includes 23 specialty gardens and is home to the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, whose research collections include nearly 1.5 million preserved plant specimens and one of the nation’s largest botanical research libraries.