Paul Pugh stopped to cool off under a tree at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden yesterday, laughed with his three children and listened to music before heading off to check out the antique cars.

Like many fathers, Pugh, of Richmond, spent yesterday with his family.

"It's wonderful to spend the day with your children, and I like all the old cars," he said. "I've got several old cars myself."

Between 1,500 and 2,000 people were expected to attend Father's Day in the Garden, said Denise Bird, special events coordinator.

"A lot of folks have guests from out of town and are looking for something different to do," she said.

Pugh's daughter, Frances Marie Pugh, 10, said she was looking forward to playing in the sprinklers in the children's gardens most.

"It's pretty here," she said. "And I like to just spend all day with my dad."

For the first time, the Richmond Harley Owners Group brought nine Harley-Davidson motorcycles to the event. The garden is on Lakeside Avenue in Henrico County.

Desmond Lane, 10, of Richmond, said his favorite part of the event was looking at the motorcycles.

"I like hanging out with my father, though, best," he said.

Desmond, his mother and two siblings set up a surprise day for Darick Lane. This was one of the stops for the special day.

"The most important part of today is spending time with my boys, my wife and my daughter," Darick Lane said. "But they won't tell me what else they have planned."

As the sun beat down on the garden, members of the band the Jangling Reinharts took a quick break to enjoy lunch with their families, too. Rick Schaffer, the guitarist, said they have been playing this event for at least the past three years.

"I love it because all of the families come out, and we love playing for the kids," Schaffer said. "It gives them a chance to hear a diverse set of music."

Contact Lindsay Machak at (804) 649-6243 or lmachak@timesdispatch.com.