The city of Burlington, Vermont invites you to come outdoors, enjoy the spring weather and take advantage of everything the Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront has to offer. This department actually oversees 35+ parks, 550+ acres of open space, 4 public beaches, street trees and greenways, community gardens, 3 cemeteries, North Beach Campground, Community Boathouse Marina and all recreation programs. With spring finally here, the department has a host of special events scheduled for participation by residents and visitors alike.
Here’s what is on the schedule for May:
May 12, 10 am – 2 pm: Tree Planting Day at Oakledge Park
This free event celebrates International Migratory Bird Day with the planting of 1,000 bird-friendly native plants in Oakledge Park as part of a wetland restoration project. Come for an hour or the whole day, come alone or bring your friends. Get outside, enjoy a spring day, and help Audubon Vermont and the Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Department make Oakledge Park even more welcoming to our birds. Sign up to Volunteer. If you have a team, school group, or other organization that would like to help, contact Dan Cahill at dcahi[email protected] so he can make special arrangements for you.
May 19, 10 AM – 2 PM: 9th Annual New North End Plant Sale
Join the fun at the Department’s annual garden sale. More than just a plant sale, this event has become a mini garden festival with music from DJ Brunch, food from various vendors, bagged compost for sale from Green Mountain Compost, and burlap bags for mulching your garden from Vermont Community Garden Network. There will also be experts on site to answer questions and help you choose just the right plants for your garden. Plus, the event is a fundraiser for the Burlington Area Community Gardens Scholarship fund which helps hire interpreters and expand garden plots to assist refugees. The sale is held at Biben’s Ace Hardware, 1127 North Ave.
May 19, 3 pm – 5 pm; Arms Forest Wildflower Walk
Meet behind the North Avenue Alliance Church and explore neighboring trails and woodlands let by students in the Burlington Master Naturalist program. What better way to enjoy a May afternoon!
May 26, 11 am – 3 pm; Lakeview Cemetery and Louisa Howard Chapel
Step into history and enjoy these two separate events. First, thanks to the Friends of Lakeview Cemetery, you can tour the 1882 Louisa Howard Chapel at 455 North Avenue. This beautiful restored high Gothic style Victorian chapel is not only a joy to see, but available for events such as weddings, lectures, small concerts.
You might want to schedule your visit to take advantage of a free walking tour of the Lakeview Cemetery led by Don Jackson at 1:00 pm. His focus is on the lives of the Civil War soldiers from Vermont as well as the soldiers who settled here after the war. This stroll through Burlington’s only 19th century park and cemetery is an enjoyable way to spend a part of your day.
May 30, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm; Leddy Park Beach Bites
Grab your friends and head to Leddy Park (216 Leddy Park Rd) for the first Beach Bites evening. This event takes place every other Wednesday all summer long. Enjoy delicious food truck offerings, a beer garden for adults, and games and activities for adults and kids alike. Plus, there’s nothing quite like fresh air, good friends, fun food, and magnificent sunsets to cap off a summer day.
Those are the plans for May. More excitement coming all during the summer including the annual fireworks display. Stay tuned.