MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Although the weather is cooling down, the fun wasn’t at the West Virginia Botanic Garden’s 12th annual Children’s Fall Fest.

The Sunday event was open to the public, though members of the WV Botanic Garden were granted access an hour before the gates opened.

A number of nature-themed crafts and activities were available throughout the garden’s trail, such as pumpkin painting, seed paper making and fairy house building. Live animals were also on display for children to learn about and interact with.

Hand painted pumpkins we placed on display at the Fall Children’s Festival

WV Botanic Garden invited special guests to the event to provide more educational and entertaining experiences for children as well. The Aviation Conservation Center brought out a few of its birds, WVU School of Pediatric Dentistry brought animal skulls and a puppet to teach children the proper way to brush their teeth and the Cheat Lake Animal Hospital brought special coloring pages.

Birds and bunnies on display at the Fall Children’s Festival

12 News spoke with WV Botanic Garden’s education director, Erin Smaldone, on how this event ties in with the garden’s values.

“A big part of our mission is just to get people out into nature, become inspired, spend time outside, be part of their community by getting out to an event like this and also education and just teaching them about natural history and art as well. A lot of that comes together here with the festival,” Smaldone said.

Children partaking in crafts and activities.

WV Botanic Garden has more fun activities planned for the rest of the year, including the “Howl-O-Ween Doggie Trick or Treat,” where pups are invited to dress up and come out to the garden to trick or treat for themselves.