Join the passionate gardeners and volunteers of the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden on September 22nd from 5:00-8:00 p.m. for the garden’s 20th Anniversary Celebration! The evening will include an original play created and performed by community members; live music; a delicious dinner prepared by local restaurants and gardeners, and a cash bar. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. Student (college and grade school) tickets $25. Children 6 years and under are free. A silent auction will offer local adventures, activities, and services that will enrich your year spiritually, mentally, and physically, and you can test your luck on three unique raffle baskets.

The original play will be this event’s crown jewel. With the help of local community theater playwright and director Jerry Pope, the garden’s community has woven a tapestry of stories from a myriad of voices. The resulting compilation of memories is sure to make you laugh, cry, and reminisce! These stories touch the humanity in all of us and the endless connections that we have with the universe around us.

The goal for the 20th Anniversary Celebration is to raise $20,000! Proceeds from this event provide financial support for the garden’s interns so that they can focus on learning good growing techniques and in-turn share that knowledge with others and give back to the community. Proceeds also allow the garden to bring in excellent educators for workshops to educate the community about gardening, native and medicinal plants, and more. The rest of the revenue will be set aside as seed money for a new structure to replace the current barn. The community hopes that the new structure can include processing capabilities, educational space, cold storage, and an office for the full-time garden manager. Additional donations are enthusiastically welcomed to help realize this vision!

Providing food for hundreds of local families, the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden is a vital resource in helping reduce food insecurity in the Swannanoa Valley. Each year, residents and volunteers come together to grow fresh produce that is distributed to families in need. The garden relies heavily on the work of interns to assist in the growing process and to educate the public on sustainable growing techniques. This fundraiser serves as one of the best opportunities for the community to come together and learn about the purpose and benefits of the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden. This event is also one of the best ways to support the community garden and keep it up and running for years to come.

In addition to growing produce for the community and providing space for residents to garden, the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden tends dozens of fruit and nut trees, grows many native and medicinal plants, helps to maintain greenways, operates a composting station for the Town, and supports a full-time garden manager position.

The Dr. John Wilson Community Garden is located at 99 White Pine Drive in Black Mountain and is a program of Black Mountain Recreation and Parks. It is supported by the Friends of the Community Gardens.

For more information about this year’s event or to purchase tickets visit the event website at https://bmtcommunitygardens.org/20th-anniversary-celebration/. To get involved, please contact Lucille Nelson at lucille.nelson@tobm.org. For information about donations and sponsorships please reach out to info@bmtcommunitygardens.org