Join us for the Closing Ceremony of The Woodland Faerie Trail!

The Zilker Botanical Garden will be announcing the winners of this year’s highly anticipated Faerie House Competition. Voting ends on July 10th. Scroll down to see this year’s competition gallery.

Closing Celebration Volunteers Needed! We are looking for fae friendly volunteers to join us for a day of community engagement and faerie fun! Volunteers can support this event by leading themed activities or helping architects remove debris from their faerie plots. The Garden encourages architects to “Leave No Trace”. Please help us remove all human crafts and restore the trail to its natural state.

The Great Fae Farewell
Closing Ceremony & Celebration

Mark your calendars! Get your wings ready to enjoy a magical morning filled with sweet treats, nature based crafts, and of course… faeries! The Woodland Faerie Trail officially comes to an end as the fae reclaim the land. Come out and celebrate!!

🗓️ July 12th Closing Ceremony from 9 AM – 12 PM
🍄 Winners from this year’s Architect Competition will be announced at 11 AM!

Faerie Architects! Please print or make a digital copy of the above Architect Badge and keep a record of your visits to the Garden. This is to help our gate staff identify architects. Faerie Architects are allowed one adult assistant during their stewardship visits. Assistant Youth Architects are welcome at no cost! Architects may visit their property all summer for maintenance and we would like the opportunity to highlight our most assiduous Faerie Home Keepers.

Know Before You Go

The Woodland Faerie Trail Closing Celebration will be in the Oak Grove from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Concessions by Fairy Freeze: Shaved Ice

 ✨ 9:00 AM – 12 :00 PM Activities Include:
 🧚 Nature Based Arts & Crafts
 🧚 Faerie House Competition Winner Ceremony
🧚 Architect Breakdown and Trail Reclamation

 ✨ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Faeries in the Garden!

Fairies will be arriving to join garden guests for photo opportunities, face painting, and nature-based activities.

🏆Faerie Home Contest at 11 AM in the Oak Grove
This contest features three categories for our magical architects, with in-person and online voting from May 10 – July 11. Garden guests were challenged to pick their Top Three Favorite Faerie houses when walking the trail. Winners will receive a free “Private Estate” Faerie home plot for next year and a Zilker Botanical Garden Family Membership for one year! 

Categories: 

✨ Best Use of Natural Materials – For homes that harmoniously blend with nature 

✨ Most Whimsical Design – Celebrating creativity, magic, and playfulness 

✨ People’s Choice Award – Listen to your heart and vote for your favorite! 

✨ Important Reminder for Faerie Architects: The fae kindly ask that all human materials are reclaimed and removed from the trail no later than July 19th. We encourage you to take them back to your gardens at home to enjoy the whimsy and magic all year long!

Featured Faerie Houses Designed by Last Year’s Winning Architects

2024 Competition Winning Architects were Karen McClatchey, Kathryn Zentner, and Tiffanie Flynn!

2025 Woodland Faerie Trail
Community Builder Competition Gallery