Mid Autumn Festival at the Gardens

[ Media Invite ]

Mid Autumn Festival at the Gardens promise to be one Fun and Spectacular event. We get to see lanterns from multi-religion and ethnics, and you can travel around the world too!

From now till 14th Sep only, the lanterns at Gardens are set to dazzle. Bring your family down to Gardens by the Bay to celebrate Mid autumn festival (中秋节).

八仙 (8 immortals) against 7 kiddos from SengkangBabies and Cheekiemonkies.
Children at Mid Autumn Festival

Hungry? Maybe some famous Taiwan tofu will suit your palete. Otherwise cover your nose and quicken your pace when you reach “tofu” stall haha :p

We love how the stalls are brightly decorated too.

Chinese, Indian and Malay, the multiracial context for Singapore.

We got Lanterns depicting European icon and landmarks too. Boon Xin finds Spain’s bull too fierce, she prefers Netherlands’ cows.

Japanese Sumo or African Tribe?

Big Ben and Leaning Tower.

Opera house and Koala.

Tons of opportunities for families to revel under the “moonlight”. Go ahead, take a selfie or two.

Hunt for your own Zodiac animals.

Daddy still prefers the traditional Chinese big-head or Dragon/Lion dance lanterns (got more “feel”).

Love the lively cartoon animations.

Spot the green Giant Peacock soaring to the sky near the entrance. Many families were trying to pose under the vase.

It will easily take you one hour to cover the exhibits. If you are going to pose with every lantern, minimum 2 hours! (every lantern is life like 栩栩如生)

Sports Hub is nice too, as kids try to identify their favourite sports.

We had a lot of fun posing with the different lanterns.
Mid autumn Festival Gardens

花好月圆, give the “Moon” a kiss 🙂

Video : Not sure which Lantern is the kids’ favourite, but we know they love their own little Lanterns

Do pop by the Supertree Grove during the evenings (around 8.45pm) for Garden Rhapsody. The SuperTrees and special effects will bedazzle you (do check with Gardens staff for actual timing during Mid Autumn period)

For those who wish to learn more about Chinese culture, a range of activities will be available.

Mid Autumn Festival Gardens will illuminate until 14 Sep.
( Timing Mon-Fri 6PM to 11PM, Sat-Sun 3PM to 11PM)

Avoid weekends as carpark will definitely be packed. More details about Gardens by the Bay’s Mid Autumn Festival can be found on their website and Fanpage.

Try to catch Zheng4 He2 (郑和)’s boat and walk under the blinking purple bridge too, it feels like walking under the stars.

(image credit Gardens by the Bay)

Do pop by our friends Mid Autumn post too.
Cheekiemonkie
TheWackyDuo
Dejiki
Temporary Local
InTheWeeHours
– Our 2013 MidAutumn exploration at Gardens

The best thing about Mid Autumn Festival Gardens (滨海湾花园庆中秋), this event is Free. Do pop by our Fanpage album for more lantern photos.

Singapore Garden Festival 2014

[ Media Invite ]

From 16-24 Aug, Singapore Garden Festival 2014 (SGF) wil bloom at Gardens by the Bay. Jointly organised by “National Parks Board (nparks)” and “Gardens By The Bay (GBTB)”, this is the first time SGF is held outdoors.

You can expect floral display, landscaping and acquire some inspirations to decorate your balcony, kitchen, and dining table too!

Regardless of which corner you are taking a selfie, there is always MBS, GardensByTheDome’s Domes or CBD in the background 🙂

The main exhibits would be at the Meadow (10min slow walk from Flower Dome). But make sure you spend some time at SuperTree Grove (shopping) and Flower Dome (Orchids Extravaganza)

Refer to the map below or this link.

Butterflies (counted at least 10 real ones) have gatecrashed SGF 2014, and that must be the biggest compliment any gardener can receive.

Truly nature’s endorsement 🙂

The butterfly led us to the grasshoppers, ladybird and dragonflies (the usual mascots).

Weather permits (from rain and shine), plenty of photo opportunities await families.

Flowers (notably Orchids) are spotted around many corners, forming colourful backdrop or simply photo accessories.

Appreciate 15 Fantasy and Landscape Show-gardens from award winning designers. Nature’s art pieces.

Decorate your balcony, perhaps. There are 8 “booths” to spark your creativity.

No shopping for Daddy, but you will get to shop at over 80 stalls selling plants and gardening products. Do take note that Marketplace is in a Free area (no tickets needed).

We can even buy plants designed to attract butterflies 🙂

Indoors, there are “14 Floral Windows to the World”. Cut flowers display and master florists are waiting to thrill, just like a Arts-Nature gallery.

Everyone will get to enjoy the flower art (even decoration competition) in aircon comfort.

In one of the cubicles, Daddy found some interesting and cute plants with animals and insects names!

Crocodile (the leaves got scales!), Stingray, Flamingo are easy to guess, and caterpillar too 🙂

Dining Table concept. Just an idea, maybe someone would really consider decorating their dining area? Perhaps, for starters, you can pluck rose petals from the table, green beans from the chair :p

Ice Queen.

Even the kitchen Island can host your herbs and spices (all plants). Do not throw away your old CRT monitor (and toy soldiers).

Miniature Gardens are new in Singapore Garden Festival. Everything in the garden (six of them) is scaled down, really intricate and pretty!

We spotted Harry Potter’s Greenhouse!

CIB (Community in Boom) are the volunteers in your neighbourhood. Young and old, all are passionate gardeners. They were on hand to show visitors some diy handicrafts, including grasshoppers.

Photography starts early for the kids. Quality is quite impressive.

You can join in SGF’s photo contest too. Click on SGF2014 Fanpage‘s Colours Tab.

We would like to recommend you to pop by SGF 2014 Gardeners’ cup too. This is a friendly competition among CIB teams.

The mini plots of garden offer plenty of opportunities to Scent, Touch, See, Hear and even Taste (5 senses).

Learning Garden will showcase edible plants, herbs and spices. Daddy loves the padi fields.

Fruits vegetables spices Garden Festival

Orchid Extravaganza is held at Flower Dome.

Rows and rows of Orchids to pose and to photograph, but be prepared to queue 🙂

Orchid Extravaganza features some 18,000 Orchids from 40 different species. Love the white Orchids which arches overhead.

Orchids Galore! Natural light seems to make the Orchids translucent.



Are these Orchids too? Daddy’s favourite could be the miniature on the right (scientific name Enchclia Radiata)

Wow purple tongues !

Orchid Kaleidoscope , that 10m tall structure in the center, is the highlight of Flower Dome.

You cannot climb up, but everyone should take one or more selfie inside the Orchid Tower (Kaleidoscope). The colourful Orchids spiral upwards into the opening. Spectacular!
Orchid Kailedoscope

Daddy can stay in Flower Dome for hours just admiring and whiffing every Orchid. Orchid Extravaganza might rival Tulipmania as one of GBTB’s best display 🙂

Do take note that Orchid Extravaganza ends on 21Sep (Singapore Garden Festival ends 24Aug).

Video : Highlights of Singapore Garden Festival

Tips to enjoy Singapore Garden Festival 2014 :

– Singapore Garden Festival 2014 blooms from 16-24Aug (10am – 10pm daily)
– Orchid Extravaganza (Flower Dome) runs from now till 21Sep

– SGF2014 ticket entitles you to free entry at Flower Dome (a good deal), and it is only $10/$14 (Adults weekday/weekend respectively), and $5/$8 for children).
– You can choose to visit Flower dome on another day (check validity date at SGF2014)
– It can be very warm outdoors but it is cool indoors (contrasting temperate). Take care of the younger kids and older folks.

– We started our tour at 8am, that’s why some of the photos do not have a crowd. Gardens by the Bay is packed on weekends! There is still room for strollers and wheelchairs.

– Carpark will be full, do pop by Gardens By The Bay website for parking advise
– Buy your Singapore Garden Festival tickets online at GBTB website to avoid the queue

More updates can be found on the following channels :

SGF 2014 and GBTB Fanpage
– GBTB Orchid Extravaganza
– SGF 2014 website ( a lot of photos and activities are from previous editions)
– Tag away at Instagrams SgGardenFest, GardensbytheBay and Nparksbuzz


(image credit SGF 2014)

Do pop by our friends’ reviews, Cheekiemonkie, Dejiki, BPDG, PrincessDanaDiaries, TheWackyDuo and Miracule.

Hurry ok, Singapore Garden Festival ends this coming Sunday. And Singaporeans like to wait until last minute then throng events :p

Referring to our first simple image, at Singapore Garden Festival 2014, it does not matter whether it is “City in a Garden” or “Garden in a City”. Both are apt for showcasing our pretty island 🙂

More photos can be found on our Fanpage album. Read all our GardensByTheBay stories here.