Category Archives: Festival of Spring and Plant Sale

Press Release: Fairpark Celebration of Spring and Plant Sale

May 5th, 2018

Contacts: Tom King [earth4alllife@gmail.com] (801) 502-1991, Bryce Garner [brycewgarner@gmail.com], Josh Smith [jsfreebird67@gmail.com] (209) 200-0126] & Kevin Robertson [kevinrob4@gmail.com] (385) 312-4136

On May 5th, the neighborhood of Fairpark will be holding its annual Celebration of Spring and Plant Sale at Constitution Park located at 300 N 1300 W from 10 am until 2 pm. The event, which has become a west side staple, features the sale of vegetable and herb plants alongside workshops and community outreach. The types of plants sold will include: 20 varieties of tomato, 16 varieties of sweet and hot pepper, 3 kinds of eggplant, and 6 different herbs. This year, the community will also be providing free garden veggie seed packages (with 30 types of seeds) to plant at home, as well as ‘Snail Cage’ workshop (offering an insiders guide on how to prevent snails from eating small seedlings), and ‘Plant a Seed and Watch It Grow’ children’s activity (which includes free soil, seeds, pots and labels). In an effort to help boost attendance and increase the profile of the event, students from Professor Garcia’s Westside Studio at the University of Utah’s City and Metropolitan Planning Department, will help advertise the event to Westside neighbors, to help foster an atmosphere of inclusion. Utilizing funding sources received from University Neighborhood Partners (UNP), the event will also include a natural climbing wall, suitable for most ages, as well as a nature-oriented scavenger hunt for children. According to UNP, each of these additional activities promote the organization’s principle goal of “a community coming together.”

The event is being organized by Fairpark community council member Tom King. King has stressed the importance of ensuring the event promotes awareness of the environment and the impact it has on our lives. A “lot of families like mine have been planting vegetable gardens at home. Edible gardens are not only a great way of producing local food, while supporting healthier living, but also the advancing of regional sustainability. Gardening reconnects us with nature. I am a gardener, who loves sharing this wisdom with others.”

Figure 1. Tom King who propagated all the plants for sale at the All Chay Restaurant

The plant sale itself is the central feature of the day and emblemizes the positive effects of ecological integration within the local built environment. Workshops and activities seek to educate attendees (in an active way) on the role plants contribute in helping our communities both built and natural thrive, while enjoying fresh air and lively engagement. Local organization booths will include:

Lead Safe Housing Program, Northwest Recreation Center, Mother’s Milk Bank, Neighborworks, Utah State University Extension Service.

Other organizations may join but have not yet been confirmed. Both the Rose Park and Poplar Grove neighborhoods will also be sponsoring booths at the event to promote involvement with their community councils. They will also be assisted by Westside Studio students, helping to stock and operate the booths. The inclusion of these booths is designed to promote integration of Westside neighborhoods, while providing opportunity for attendees to learn more about various events occurring within their communities.

University of Utah students, alongside UNP contributions, are seeking to not only promote environmental health, but also community well-being. Celebration of Spring events provide an opportunity for neighbors to gather together and build a sense of belonging and involvement within a social setting.

By offering additional activities to the public the festival hopes to bring in a large, diverse array of people to enjoy a beautiful spring day with each other.

The event is free and open to the public.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact:

Tom King: 801-502-1991

Second Annual Fairpark Festival of Spring Huge Success

18216421_1505291439489374_3659562656535945756_oGardeners from all over our community, as well as from surrounding areas flocked to the event on a cool spring day. There were over 300 people who attended, and the Plant Sale sold almost 2,000 plants during the four-hour Festival. Although some needed sweaters on the cool day, the weather didn’t stop hundreds from visiting the various tables. Salt Lake County Recreation, Lead Safe Housing Program,18278182_1505292946155890_2616975938661617678_o
Jackson Elementary and Utah Department of Health Safe Kids Injury Prevention Program all provided outreach and education materials for the Festival.

tomwithplants

Because of the enthusiasm and support for this year’s event, organizers are in the process of planning another complimentary event this fall. The current plans for the event will include a workshop for grafting fruit trees, a seed, bulb and scion wood exchange, a cold frame workshop and a garden veggie based potluck! See fairparkcommunity.org for more information.

Dirt2Table: Festival of Spring and Plant Sale – This Saturday!

FOS Plant SaleWhat does the Northwest Recreation Center, Jackson Elementary, Salt Lake County’s Lead Safe Housing Program, Fairpark Community Council, the Northwest Community Center, All Chay Restaurant, Salt Lake City, about 3 dozen volunteers and pizza have in common?

Okay, maybe not the pizza (that’s for the Volunteer orientation). But the rest are all supporting and participating in the 2nd annual Festival of Spring and Plant Sale April 29 from 10-2 at the Northwest Community Center. This has truly been a community effort through collaboration, interest in sustainability and relationship building with our neighbors.

The event will include activities for kids (including face painting and seed planting), outreach, snail deterrent cage making, and FUN! We can’t think of a better way to spend a few hours on a Saturday in our neighborhood, getting your season’s vegetable plants and enjoying time with your neighbors.

We inventoried over 4300 plants, all planted from seed, separated and maintained by volunteers. Hours of handling these beautiful seedlings, watering them and just plain giving them TLC have generated very happy plants!

We hope you have prepared your garden area for the plants you will have this year. Stay tuned for articles on gardening as the season progresses. More information on the Festival of Spring and Plant Sale: dirt2tableslc@gmail.com or 801-502-1991

Save

Dirt2Table:

FOS Plant SaleSpring Festival and Plant Sale!

It’s almost here! The Fairpark Community Festival of Spring and Plant Sale, hosted by the Fairpark Community Council and several community partners, April 29th at the Northwest Community Center. The greenhouse has been erected at All Chay restaurant (1250 West 500 North) and the plants are growing!

Watch for information about pre-orders of plants for your garden. Stop by the greenhouse and check it out!

In the meantime, be sure to be preparing your garden area for the plants you will have this year. We will be writing more articles on gardening in general this season. More information: dirt2tableslc@gmail.com or 801-502-1991.

dirt2table