Elegant Gardens, A Tea Party and Art Show

Gardens Open Rain or Shine
Saturday, May 22, 10 AM to 4 PM
Sunday, May 23, 11 AM to 4 PM

Enjoy 12 public and private gardens this year, all within a four block area of downtown Shepherdstown, the oldest town in West Virginia. There are several on the street where the garden tour started over ten years ago, namely Back Alley.  In an organic vegetable garden on the tour this year, there will be a demonstration apiary (a working beehive you can see into) manned by volunteers from the Eastern Panhandle Beekeepers Association of West Virginia (www.wvepba.org).

The teas, always a popular feature of the event, will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the War Memorial Building.  Each admission ticket will be good for entrance to a tea on either day, but not both. A variety of floral teas, as well as black tea, will be offered. The hot teas will be served in fine china cups and saucers from the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation.  Everyone will also be given a plate filled with savory bites and samples of desserts.  Some of the desserts will be made with local honey, celebrating our theme this year: the honeybee.

Both the tea and many of the gardens are handicap accessible. However, because of the historic conditions throughout the town, there are some uneven surfaces. Please wear sensible walking shoes.

Be sure to save time to view artwork by local artisans from the Friday Painters Group.  Paintings inspired by the garden and natural landscapes are on display on both floors of the War Memorial Building (where you purchase your tour tickets). The Friday Painters are a loosely organized group of local artists who meet on Fridays to paint plein air.  The Men's Club receives a donation on any artwork sold.

To encourage you to linger and have a wonderful time, many of the downtown merchants will be offering ticket holders discounts and special sales.  Also, one of the local churches and many of the restaurants are planning lunch specials during the weekend.

There will be free parking at Shepherd University, lot A, on the corner of High and Princess Street. All parking meters in town are free both days as well.

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