Kankakee Kulivators Present Annual Garden Tour, Artisan Faire

Kankakee Kultivators will present their annual Garden Tour and Artisan Faire, “Back to Our Roots,” on Thursday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tickets invite garden buffs to stroll through and explore seven private gardens, with a midday break for box lunches provided by Honey Baked Ham.

The following talented, generous gardeners will share their private landscapes: Glen and Nan Carlson, Ron and Pam Charles, Scott and Toni Dilday, David and Cathy Hoekstra, Chuck and Diana Parsons, Kevin and Holly Rooney, and John and Mary Jo Snyder.

Kultivators hope all will also discover their beautiful, historic “Column Garden” and the patriotic “Let Freedom Ring Garden” on the grounds of the Kankakee Historical Museum, 801 S. Eighth Avenue, Kankakee. Ticket-holders will be able to pick up their lunches at Kankakee’s Civic Center, next to the museum, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On the grounds of the Civic Center and the Historical Museum next door, the day’s Artisan Faire will be open and free to all from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The Faire features more than 50 artisan vendors, plus food trucks offering tasty treats, sweets, and snacks from LoveALatte Coffee and Bennet-Curtis House.

At the Artison Faire there also will be “Rock Painting Demonstrations, by Tracey” given throughout the day and a “Pet-friendly Plants Workshop, “ presented by Horticulturist Dolly Swibes Foster, from 12:15 – 1 p.m.  The Kankakee County Humane Foundation also will be on site offering pet adoptions.

The Faire’s annual raffle, with all prizes worth at least $50, will offer some items worth much more, for example: Golf outings at the Kankakee Country Club and Oak Springs Golf Course, tickets to the Chicago Botanic Gardens, and a Mother’s kit for car care from  Radrules by Troy, luxury case and all!

Garden tour tickets may be purchased at the following outlets: Benoit Greenhouses, Busse and Rieck Flowers Plants and Gifts, Country Flower Market, Flower Shoppe, Inc., and Joy’s Hallmark Shop, all in Kankakee; Tholens’ Garden Center and Ba Da Bloom Flower Shop, in Bourbonnais; and Vilt’s Greenhouse, in Wilmington.

Proceeds support scholarships for KCC Horticulture students, the Column Garden, and the Let Freedom Ring Garden at the Kankakee Historical Museum, and other city beautification projects. The Kultivators are a 501(C)3 non-profit organization.