Meteor Shower and Sunrise Viewing at Innisfree Garden

In many cultures, gardens are where the glories of nature as art are witnessed and celebrated. You can enjoy just such a morning at beautiful Innisfree Garden. On this summer Saturday, Innisfree will open at 4 a.m. — two hours before sunrise — for those intrepid souls who are willing to get up early (or stay up late) to experience an unforgettable series of natural wonders, along with optional cultural and wellness programs.

Morning overview:

• Peak viewing of the prolific Perseids Meteor Shower in this region is Friday night until dawn (5:30 a.m.) on Saturday, so you can catch up to 90 minutes of shooting stars. A waning crescent moon will be up, but the sky will be quite dark.

• As night moves toward day, experience the Blue Hour, when the sky and ambient light become a cool, mysterious blue.

• Soak in the sunrise (6 a.m.) and surrounding Golden Hour, when Innisfree's iconic landscape is flooded with warm light, making everything and everyone look extra beautiful.

• Opt in for a Sunrise Sound Bath (5:45 a.m.), when a gentle focus on listening soothes mind and body, bringing participants to a relaxed, even meditative state.

• Write your wishes on a paper tag and send them into the wind by tying them to a magnificent old white oak, Innisfree's Wish Tree, part of an ongoing, interactive work started by Yoko Ono.

• Be part of the Gardens for Peace movement and join visitors to Japanese-influenced gardens across the continent honoring the United Nations International Day of Peace.

• Celebrate the splendors of Dutchess County during this Great Estates Garden & Landscape Weekend.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Feel free to stay longer and explore Innisfree and learn about the people and ideas that shaped this unique landscape in a 90-minute Curator’s Tour at 10:30 a.m. Click here for Curator's Tour tickets.