Celebration to feature guest speaker Walter Reeves, a ribbon cutting, food trucks, Kids’ Discovery Zone, live music and more! How does your garden grow? At the City of Norcross with the grand opening of the Discovery Garden Park on Saturday, October 22, 2016, it grows with some sun, a little water, good soil and dedicated volunteers. Taking place on the grounds of the Norcross Welcome Center at 189 Lawrenceville Street, the Garden will open at 1 p.m. with a ribbon cutting, followed by guest speaker, local TV and radio garden guru, Walter Reeves. Food trucks and live music will add to the celebration. Children will delight in activities that include: storytelling, creating magic wands, mapping Discovery Trail, planting a Sharing Garden, scouting for fairy and gnome houses and more! The schedule of activities include: 1 pm: A ribbon cutting performed by Mayor Bucky Johnson; Summerour Middle School to lead a flag ceremony 1-4pm: Food trucks 1:30-2:30: Guest speaker, Walter Reeves 1:30-2:30: Kids activities – children are invited to wear a costume, fairy wings or come as you are 2:30-4:30: Music by Mark Tucker With a mission to inspire lifelong curiosity, understanding, and appreciation of nature through organic gardening, education and demonstration, Discovery Garden Park will provide a place of beauty for Norcross residents and visitors for years to come. Garden Chair Deb Harris states, “We are so excited and proud of what this Garden will bring to our community. It will provide nature-based experiences and resources and provide a great place for all to enjoy, celebrate, work and come together.” All ages and abilities will get the chance to play, learn and discover the natural world at Norcross’ newest park. The Garden will also cater to a variety of interests and sustainable life skills including organically growing vegetables, understanding garden wildlife, sharpening culinary skills and much more. In addition, the Garden will be home to an organic community garden, supported by the city as part of its ARC Green Communities Program and managed by a group of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. The community garden offers the opportunity for citizens to grow their own fruits, vegetable and flowers with the added bonus of building cultural exchanges and friendships. With community gardens shown to increase property values in the immediate vicinity where they are located (The Trust for Public Land, Sherer, 2006), Discovery Garden Park is expected to have a significant impact on the local community both economically and through healthier lifestyles. Future events at Discovery Garden Park include a Wreath Making Workshop on December 1st led by local garden and flower designer, Mary Delia Poynter, owner of Container Gardening of Atlanta, LLC; and Winter Solstice with Santa on Dec. 17 where children can enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores as they decorate a wildlife tree with raisin icicles and birdseed ornaments. For more information on Discovery Garden Park, visit norcrossga.net.