McKINLEY PARK — Neighbors are throwing a garden party and you’re invited.
They're hosting the first-ever Springtime Garden Celebration at the McKinley Park Community Garden, the grassroots garden along Pershing Road.
The picnic party is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the garden, located along a blocks-long stretch of Pershing between Winchester and Wolcott avenues.
It’s BYOG — Bring Your Own Grill — and organizers are asking guests to also bring their own food, plates and utensils. Got a blanket or chair? Bring those, too.
Saturday’s party will include a performance by bluesman and community gardener Anthony Moser, a “dirt cake” dessert provided by Jazzy Bean Café and a seed swap.
Kids can play in the garden and create signs for the raised beds.
Corenna Roozeboom, a master gardening student who helps run the Chicago Park District’s Harvest Garden program, is leading the effort to bring the green space to the starkly industrial corridor.
The idea is to create a true community space with involvement from the community’s Hispanic and Asian population and the nearby Namaste Charter School.
Eventually, the organizers are hoping the garden will expand to include wildflowers, beekeeping and a gathering space with benches.
