Altadena Community Garden’s Annual Picnic Returns September 30

As part of its 50th-Anniversary year celebrations, Altadena Community Garden’s Annual Picnic will take place from noon until 6:00 pm on Saturday, September 30.

By News Desk

It’s been three years since the last Annual Picnic, which has been on hiatus due to health concerns raised by the COVID pandemic.  The Annual Picnic is Altadena Community Garden’s largest outward-facing event each year, and it includes delicious BBQ, garden-fresh veggies, an opportunity drawing, a Community Resources Fair, and music and entertainment for all.

“We’re all truly excited to once again be able to open our gates and to really welcome the community back to the Garden,” said Silvera Grant, the long-time president of the eponymous nonprofit group that leases and manages the County-owned garden.“For some of our newer members, this will be the first time they’ve experienced this great community-building event!”

Part old-time fair, part hometown BBQ, and part community-resources fair, the event will see politicians and other community leaders in attendance, regaling attendees with talk of their efforts to support the Garden in its mission to encourage healthy living and to provide healthy food resources to the community.

Garden members will be providing healthy side dishes of all sorts, including vegetarian and vegan dishes. Tours of the 2½ acre garden facility will also be given, including the Garden’s “Outside the Gates” food forest of fruit trees.

Tickets are $15 each, and children aged 10 and under get in – and get to eat – for free! Tickets are available for purchase online at AltadenaCommunityGarden.com and will be available at the event (unless capacity is reached through presales).

The Altadena Community Garden started out informally in the late 1960s when a group of Altadena residents began gardening in the portion of Lower Loma Alta park that is now the equestrian ring. After the adjacent Mt. Lowe Military Academy closed, the group of gardeners petitioned the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to develop that historic site into a community garden. Their petition was granted and, in 1973, the Altadena Community Garden was formally established. Over the decades, the relationship between the nonprofit group and the County, which now owns the property, and was formalized last year with a lease agreement.

“The bottom line,” said Grant, “is that the Garden is a simply-wonderful place where folks come together togrow – and we want everyone to experience that. After all, “community” is our middle name!”