South Australia’s biggest nature celebration is back, and it’s packed with ways to get your family outdoors these spring school holidays. Nature Festival 2026 runs from 25 September to 11 October with more than 350 events across the state, from city gardens to desert landscapes and coastal wetlands.
Now in its seventh year, the festival’s theme is Seed, an invitation to think about the small beginnings that shape our future. The seeds we plant in gardens, in communities, in culture, and in our kids.
“Seed is an invitation to think about what we are growing together, starting with our little ones,” says Nature Festival Co-founder and Chair Vicki-Jo Russell AM. “This year’s program is filled with experiences that help kids and families plant beautiful seeds in their lives and with the natural world.”
Family-friendly highlights
There are plenty of free and family-friendly events to choose from, spanning art, adventure, music, food, gardens and Aboriginal culture. Here are some to add to your list:
The Seedling Exchange
Daily throughout the festival on North Terrace outside the State Library, this pop-up pavilion invites visitors to plant a seed and contribute to a growing shared garden. Small acts of care gradually become a collective nursery.
The Amazing Nature Race
Sunday 27 September at Brinkworth Reserve, Port Lincoln. Solve nature-inspired challenges, uncover hidden treasures and discover the richness of the natural world. Hosted by the Port Lincoln Multicultural Council.
Spring into 140 Years at State Flora
Saturday 3 October at State Flora Nursery, Belair National Park. Celebrate 140 years of State Flora with rare archival images, free family activities and a native plant tube giveaway for the first 140 sales.
Kardla: A Journey of Healing Country Through Fire
Friday 9 October in the Adelaide Parklands. Walk with Kaurna Kardla and explore the cultural, ecological and regenerative role of cultural burning. A chance for families to learn about Traditional Knowledge and land stewardship.
Kangaroo Island Rare Plant Garden
Sunday 4 and Monday 5 October at Cygnet River. This open garden showcases threatened and endemic Kangaroo Island plants and the important seed conservation work happening on the Island.
Beyond Adelaide
Nature Festival stretches right across South Australia, from Andamooka to Kangaroo Island and everywhere in between. Regional highlights include an airport garden party at Andamooka celebrating native corridor revegetation, a hiking retreat in Ikara-Flinders Ranges with cultural learning facilitated by Adnyamathanha woman Rehanna Coulthard, and an immersive art experience set amongst the Coorong.
This year, 25 micro-grants have been awarded to grassroots regional projects, including a “living music of plants” experience in the Adelaide Hills and a seed-inspired poetry workshop in Mintaro, Clare Valley.
More highlights for curious minds
7×7 Seed Talks (Sunday 27 September, Art Gallery of South Australia) features seven expert speakers each delivering a seven-minute talk inspired by the theme Seed, covering science, arts, culture and leadership.
Bruce Pascoe: The European Mind (Tuesday 6 October, Art Gallery of South Australia) sees the author launch his new book examining colonialism and its continuing influence on land and community.
Seed Stories: Lessons for These Times (Saturday 10 October, Art Gallery of South Australia) offers storytelling, seed sorting and conversations about food systems and our connection to the earth.
The full program launches today:
Photography: Ramsay Taplin
Follow KIDDO on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter