California Botanic Garden’s Garden of Verses poetry festival is back from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 1 at 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont.

The festival melds National Poetry Month and CalBG’s wildflower month into one celebratory kick-off event. Guests are invited to walk the mesa garden paths where activity stations will hold poetry readings and allow guests to create their own poems.

Featured poetry stations include All About Town Poets, Fourth Saturdays Poetry at the Claremont Helen Renwick Library, The Pasadena Poets and the Southern California Haiku Study Group.

This event is free with garden admission on April 1. Adults are $10, seniors and students with I.D. are $6, and youngsters ages 3 to 12 are $4. Children under 3 and CalBG members are free.

A 21+ ticketed event, “Flower hour” takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. featuring music from ShamaMamahs and poetry readings by former winners of Claremont Graduate University’s Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry Prize. Tickets, $20 for members and $25 for non-members, must be purchased in advance at calbg.org. Food will be provided by Evolve Distilling and Saca’s Mediterranean Cuisine.

For more information visit calbg.org or call (909) 625-8767.