Garden Fair returns to Pearce's Farm Stand on May 25
One-day-only event held rain or shine
Preparing for their popular annual fundraising Garden Fair, a revolving procession of Fontana Garden Club members gathered at Jurg's Greenhouse in Walworth on May 2 to plant the club's creative signature "Kool Kontainers." The one-day-only Memorial day Weekend fundraiser event is scheduled for this Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine, at Pearce's Farm stand, W5740 N. Walworth Rd. in the Town of Walworth, corner of County Hwy. F and state Hwy. 67. Pictured from left are Joan Iversen, event Planning; Patsy Thornburgh; Linda McLean, President; Susie Schaid, event Planning; Patti Podgorski, event Planning; donna Neimeyer, Garden Fair Co-Chairman; Denise Kerley, Garden Fair Co-Chairman; soda Parker, scholarship Co-Chairman; and Jill Wegner.
FONTANA GARDEN CLUB'S FUNDRAISER
Area green thumb gardeners have a chance to beautiful their outdoors spaces — as well as make a difference — as the 162-member Fontana Garden Club holds its popular annual fundraising Garden Fair this Saturday.
The one-day-only Memorial Day Weekend fundraising event will be held this Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine at Pearce's Farm Stand, W5740 N. Walworth Rd. in the Town of Walworth at the corner of State Hwy. 67 and County Hwy. F,, two miles north of the Village of Fontana-On-Geneva Lake.
"We are grateful to be back at Pearce's this year and for their support of our club and its mission," said Fontana Garden Club President Linda McLean.
The club's full-scale 2024 Garden Fair, co-chaired by Donna Neimeyer and Denise Kerley, will feature perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, garden art, seed packets, teacher gifts and the club's popular signature "Kool Kontainers" planters, the latter described by McLean as "anything that can hold dirt and plants."
"Our members are very creative in choosing their Kool Kontainers," she said. "I am always fascinated by their whimsy and their ability to fit into any setting."
The 2024 Garden Fair will feature around 1,000 annual plants, 100 hanging baskets, and 475 perennials.
"We are putting a lot of time and effort into this fundraiser," Kerley said. "This is our main, big fundraiser and we're really hoping the community shows up and helps the local children in our community."
In preparation for their May 25 Garden Fair fundraiser, members of the Fontana Garden Club gathered for a May 2 "potting party" in Walworth at independent, family-owned Jurg's Greenhouse, established in 1953 by Amos Jurgensen and specializing in annual flowers and plants, including vegetables and herbs, as well as a selection of perennials.
McLean said the club is grateful for the help of many area businesses and organizations in supporting the club's fundraising Garden Fair.
"We receive generous discounts for the annuals that we purchase from Jurg's Greenhouse and Pesche's Greenhouse," she noted. "Badger High School FFA has added to our collection by kindly donating plants to us at the end of their plant sale. Seeds of Hope and Al's Hosta Arboretum have also offered considerable discounts to the club, allowing us to purchase many perennials from them. And every year, Northwind Perennial Farm has kindheartedly donated perennial plants for us to sell at our sale."
Add Neimeyer, "We're all in benefit for the kids of Walworth County, from seniors to kindergarteners."
Fontana Garden Club members are drawn from across breadth of Walworth County and beyond.
"It's a wonderful group of women working together to make this a success," McLean said. "We must be doing something right. People keep joining. We don't turn anyone away. Everyone seems to want to be part of our garden club and chip in ... with whatever strength they might have. It's a fun activity and a wonderful club. There's a wonderful camaraderie."
Among the Fontana Garden Club members is Susan Lacerra.
"The Fontana Garden Club is a vibrant organization, very active in Walworth County sharing gardening information, providing scholarships in horticulture, volunteering in the area gardens ... and Yerkes," she said. "Their one big fundraiser, their annual Garden Fair, has bounced back after COVID and is back at Pearce's ... better than ever with ... 'Kool Kontainers,' perennial porch pots and garden art, plus the ever-pleasing pies, breads and dessert bars."
Tasty treats available from the home kitchens of Fontana Garden Club members at the 2024 Garden Fair will include homemade from-scratch pies, quick breads and dessert bars, some of which will be gluten-free.
"Be there early, before the pies sell out," Lacerra said.
There will also be a 50/50 Fontana Garden Club raffle conducted on Saturday at the Garden Fair.
McLean said the Fontana Centennial Committee will also be onsite at the Garden Fair.
McLean said proceeds from the club's 2024 Garden Fair will benefit Fontana Garden Club community outreach activities including scholarships for students studying horticulture, landscape design and other environmentally-related fields; financial donations in support of outdoor education programs at area elementary-middle schools, and donations to area high school agriscience and Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs for things like hydroponic growing systems and cafeteria table-top composters; and funding for area beautification projects.
"The Garden Fair is our main fundraiser to support our mission to help the youth in Walworth County," McLean said of the club's horticulture-centered community outreach. "It's an important cause for us ... encouraging the youth and youngsters to learn about the environment and learn how to care for it and develop a strong love for our earth and everything about it."
Neimeyer said the goal-oriented "go-getter" Fontana Garden Club membership looks to raise $14,000 to meet its annual community outreach target.
"They're there to help other people," she said of club members. "They have a goal in mind and they get behind that — and that's what I appreciate about this club."
Learn more
Established in 1956, the Fontana Garden Club is a local organization of gardeners who love plants and flowers. Club meetings are held at St. Benedict Catholic Church, 137 Dewey Ave., Fontana.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ FontanaGardenClub or email fontanagardenclub@yahoo.com.
