The Ginkgo Watch posted by Blandy Experimental Farm on October 1, 2026, had a three-word color report: "Green, green, green." The more than 300 trees in the grove off Route 50 in Boyce had not started to turn. The arboretum's guidance is the same as every year. Late October or early November is usually the best time to see the gold, and the timing varies a little from year to year.
The weekend program is already set, though. The Ginkgo Gold Weekends page lists visitor services on October 31 and November 1, then again on November 7 and 8. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on each of those days. Those four days were planned for people who come from far away. If you live in Clarke County, the grove is open on other terms the rest of the season.
Why the weekends exist
Blandy's grove started as a science experiment. Dr. Orland E. White, the farm's first director, wanted to find out what share of ginkgo seeds grow into male trees and what share grow into female trees. In the 1930s and 1940s, he and his students planted an experimental orchard from seeds collected on the grounds of the University of Virginia. Ginkgoes can take 20 years to reach sexual maturity. The final count came in the 1980s: 157 female trees and 144 male, roughly one to one. Blandy's brochure describes the grove as 3.3 acres with about 300 trees. The arboretum calls it one of the largest public ginkgo groves in America.
The fall event has changed form over the past few years. In 2023, Blandy advertised the third year of GinkgoFest, a ticketed celebration at $60 per person. In 2024 the arboretum switched to free visitor-service weekends. In a story dated October 25, 2024, the Winchester Star called them the first of their kind. Blandy staff told the paper that past visitors had asked for "extra services" such as food, bathrooms, and souvenirs. The same story said Blandy expected 5,000 to 8,000 visitors over the next two weeks. That number was a forecast, not a count of people who came.
When the weekends came back for a second year, Northern Virginia Daily reported that Blandy started them because people travel "hundreds of miles" to see the trees. The food trucks, extra restrooms, and souvenir stand are there for people who spend a whole day on the trip and may only come once.
What the 2026 weekends include
The Foundation of the State Arboretum runs the weekends, and the Bank of Clarke Foundation and Crescent Cities Charities help sponsor them this year. Snack and coffee trucks, a ginkgo jewelry vendor, and extra bathrooms will be set up near the parking entrance. A souvenir stand and a Sponsor A Ginkgo Tree booth will be across from the grove.
| Date | Day | Vendors on Blandy's lineup |
|---|---|---|
| October 31 | Saturday | K Spot Korean Food, The Station Café coffee trailer, Shade Metals, Clarke County Tourism, sponsor-a-tree booth |
| November 1 | Sunday | K Spot Korean Food, The Station Café, Shade Metals, Clarke County Tourism, sponsor-a-tree booth |
| November 7 | Saturday | K Spot Korean Food, The Cupcake Mafia, Donut Dive, Clarke County Tourism, sponsor-a-tree booth |
| November 8 | Sunday | Listed with the November 7 hours, no separate lineup posted |
The lineup page still includes an entry dated November 2, 2025, left over from last season. The 2026 dates at the top of the page are the current schedule.
Weekdays and early mornings are quieter
Blandy's FAQ is direct about crowds. The grove is busiest on weekends in late October and early November, and "busy" can mean more than a thousand visitors a day. For a quieter visit, Blandy strongly recommends coming on a weekday or early on a weekend morning. The arboretum is open dawn to dusk every day of the year at 400 Blandy Farm Lane in Boyce. Admission is free, and so is seeing the ginkgoes.
The program runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on four days. The grove is open from dawn to dusk on every day of the season. A Tuesday visit at first light gets you the same trees with no vendors and far fewer people. If you live in Clarke County, you can also wait for the Ginkgo Watch to report peak color and go that week, instead of planning a trip weeks ahead around a fixed weekend.
On the busy weekends, the arboretum changes how cars move around the grounds. Blandy's directions:
- Enter from the Route 50 entrance and park in the lots near the Quarters building. From there it is about a 10-minute walk to the grove.
- On the weekends approaching peak color, the route along Tuleyries Lane and through the Cedars of Lebanon is open to pedestrians only. You cannot drive directly to the grove that way.
- About 20 parking spaces at the grove are reserved for visitors with limited mobility. To reach them, follow the signs through the grounds, exit onto Berry's Ferry Road, and re-enter through the back woodlot.
- Buses must use the front "Bus and Visitor" lot. Tight turns and low branches keep them off the interior roads.
- Do not park or drive anywhere that is not designated, including roadsides. Blandy says this threatens the trees and visitor safety.
Public restrooms are at the Quarters building and Peetwood Pavilion, and portable units are set up near parking and at the grove. Collecting leaves, fruit, or branches is not allowed, and neither are drones.
Riding in during ginkgo season
Blandy has a separate page for equestrians visiting during the fall season. Riders who use the Bridle Trail through the year will find that the advice matches the crowd guidance above. The page says the grounds are least crowded on weekdays and early mornings. It also asks riders to be realistic about their horses. In late October and early November, expect large numbers of cars, utility vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians including children, strollers, wagons, and dogs. A horse that has not been tested in busy settings may find it stressful.
The arrival rules are specific:
- Bring trailers in through the designated entrance on Berry's Ferry Road, not the Route 50 front entrance.
- Park trailers only in the bridle trail paddock. If the paddock is full, there is no other place to park a trailer.
- Stay on the Bridle Trail. Horses are not allowed in the Ginkgo Grove.
- Carriages follow the same directions as cars and should not go through or around roadblocks.
- Many visitors have little experience around horses, so give them space and speak up if you feel unsafe. Blandy staff and volunteers can help.
The full paddock rule matters most. On a Saturday at peak color, a rider who shows up after the paddock fills has no backup option. On a weekday morning, that is much less likely to happen.
Other events on the same dates
The ginkgo weekends overlap with several other events in Clarke County, so if you are planning a weekend, check the dates side by side.
October 31. The first Ginkgo Gold Saturday is also Halloween. Berryville Main Street's free Hallow-Main Street runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at Rose Hill Park, 35 E Main St. It includes trick-or-treating, a costume contest, and children's games. If you go to the grove in the morning, you can still get to Berryville by mid-afternoon.
November 7. On the second Ginkgo Gold Saturday, the Clarke County Historical Association holds its free Heritage Day at Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other dates on the fall calendar, in order:
- October 9, Friday: Blandy's October Bird Walk, 8 to 10 a.m. Registration is required.
- October 11, Sunday: Clermont Farm Foundation's 4th Annual Native Plant Sale & FarmFest, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 151 Clermont Lane, Berryville.
- October 16 to 18: Lucketts Fall Market at the Clarke County Fairgrounds, 890 W Main St., with more than 200 vendors.
- October 18, Sunday: Blandy's "Wild: Managing 'Natural' Spaces in the 21st Century," talks and discussion in the library from 2 to 4 p.m.
- October 23 and 24: Haunted Historic Berryville Ghost Tours, starting at the CCHA Museum, 32 East Main Street. Admission is $20.
- November 12, Thursday: "Pouring the Past: A History of Viticulture in the U.S. and Virginia" at Burwell-Morgan Mill at 6:30 p.m., with a wine tasting. Tickets are $40 for CCHA and Locke Store Wine Club members and $50 for nonmembers.
The October 9 bird walk and the October 18 talk give you two reasons to visit Blandy before the trees turn. Both happen while the October 1 report still describes the grove as green. For updates on color, check the Ginkgo Watch page. Blandy also posts updates on its social media accounts.
If you have questions about country property near Boyce and Millwood, including how a farm's location affects trailer access to the bridle trails around Blandy, please contact Will at Will Driskill.
