Celebrating its fifth year, BranchingOUT returned to UBC Botanical Garden on July 23, 2026, welcoming over 300 guests for an evening celebrating plants and Pride. Together, attendees gathered to enjoy the Garden after hours while creating meaningful connections with community.
As the sun set, the Garden came alive with opportunities to explore and learn. Participants wandered through playful educational stations beneath the forest canopy, took in the surrounding views, supported local vendors and ventured along the Greenheart TreeWalk, all to the sound of live music.
Sassy Botanical Stations: Learning with Pride
This year, Sassy Botanical Stations returned to the Asian Garden with a mix of guided and self-paced activities. As one of our organizers, Lauren, put it, it was “bigger, gayer and better.” Guests explored hands-on experiences ranging from crafts and botanical games to bite-sized lessons on Queer history.
A fan-favourite was “Seeded Rivalry”, a Heated Rivalry inspired booth (watch our viral Seeded Rivalry reel here) where participants explored the plant species featured in the backgrounds of the hit series. Nine other stations filled the garden, including Garden Pokémon Gym (an interactive game based on plants and pokémon), Trungeons and Tragons (our take on dungeons and dragons), the GreenHeart TreeWalk, and more.
Throughout the evening, vendors and community partners shared handcrafted ceramics, jewelry and artwork, inspiring guests to support local and build deeper connections. Live music from Blank Vinyl Project added to the atmosphere, bringing a vibrant energy to the Garden.
BranchingOUT wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and staff, or the nearly 300 guests who joined us to celebrate Pride in the Garden. Your participation helped us build a space where people could feel seen, valued and inspired. We can’t wait to welcome you back for next year’s BranchingOUT!
Written by:
Maryum Chaudhry & Marina Hirata
Marketing and Communications
UBC Botanical Garden
