KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� April 18, 2017 — The 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 16th annual Spring Festival, featuring plant sales, gardening workshops, children鈥檚 activities and educational exhibits, will be held Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 聽This year鈥檚 event will be held at a new location 鈥� the 溏心vlog免费B站 Botanical Gardens and the adjacent Fine Arts Center parking area.
鈥淐onstruction materials for the new College of Engineering building are being stored at our previous festival location at East Farm, so we shifted locations this year, and we think we鈥檝e found the perfect spot,鈥� said Kate Venturini of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension and one of the event organizers. 鈥淧arking and traffic have been a challenge in the past, but now that we鈥檙e on the main campus, parking will be plentiful and traffic minimal. Also, we鈥檒l be able to provide tours of the campus gardens.鈥�
The spring festival was started in 2002 by a group of 溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardeners, and it annually draws thousands of visitors looking for gardening advice and inspiration, family activities and food and entertainment.
A wide variety of plants will be on sale, including vegetables and ornamentals from the 溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardener Program, native plants from the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, medicinal plants from the 溏心vlog免费B站 Pharmacy program, and tropicals and succulents from the 溏心vlog免费B站 Horticulture Club.
Workshops and demonstrations will be offered throughout the day, including programs on container gardening and 鈥渟quare foot gardening,鈥� and free seeds will be distributed. Electronics recycling company Indie Cycle will be available to recycle used computers, televisions, monitors and other electronics, and the South Kingstown Farmers Market will be in operation during the event as well.
Tours will be offered of the Botanical Gardens 鈥� a showcase of sustainable plants and sustainable landscaping practices 鈥� as well as the nearby Horridge Conservatory, Everett P. Christopher Arboretum, and Heber Youngken Medicinal Garden.
The Children鈥檚 Zone activities, including solar car racing and wind turbine construction, will be provided by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Energy Fellows and educators from the Learning Landscape program, and live entertainment and raffles will add to the fun. Gardening advice can be obtained at the Ask a Master Gardener booth, while free pH soil testing will be available for those who bring soil samples from home.
Live music will be provided by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Jazz Combo and Los Duderinos, and local food trucks will be on hand for snacking.
鈥淭he event will happen rain or shine, so come prepared,鈥� added Venturini.
The 溏心vlog免费B站 Botanical Gardens are located at the corner of Upper College Road and East Alumni Avenue on the Kingston Campus. Parking and admission are free. For additional information, contact Kate Venturini at 401-874-2900 or kate@uri.edu.