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SECRET GARDENS OF THE KENNEBUNKS – JULY 11 – 10 AM to 3 PM

According to Cicero, “if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

Saturday, July 11 

10 AM – 3 PM

BUY TICKETS

 

ONE OF GRAVES LIBRARY’S MOST POPULAR EVENTS—THE SECRET GARDENS OF THE KENNEBUNKS TOUR—PROVIDES RARE ACCESS TO LOCAL GARDENS ON JULY 11 RAIN OR SHINE

Tickets are $60 in advance and $70 on July 11. Buy tickets here.

A detailed map revealing the secret locations of the participating properties will be provided to all ticket holders on the day of the tours at Consolidated School, 25 School Street.

Occurring just every other year, the Secret Gardens of the Kennebunks Tour gives town residents and visitors rare access to seven of the most beautiful local gardens in our lovely coastal town. This year’s event to benefit the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is slated for Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This delightful summer activity is one of the library’s most popular events. Gardens tour participants are treated to a wide variety of garden styles and environments amid lovely natural settings from stately mansions to quaint seaside cottages. Volunteers will be located at each garden to help with questions and where to park.

A special Garden Tour Preview Party for garden owners and sponsors will be held at Mélange Home Shop in Lower Village, Kennebunk on Friday, July 10, from 5-7 PM. Mélange is a unique retail shop created by Paula and Clayton Daher, the mother and son duo of Daher Interior Design. Mélange specializes in globally and locally sourced home furnishings. Wine and hors d’ oeuvres will be served.

Flowers and gardens are part of the Graves Library DNA—Kennebunkport artist Abbott Graves (1859-1936), the father of the library’s namesake, was famously known for his spectacular floral paintings.

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, housed in an historic building located near Kennebunkport’s famous Dock Square town center, is a full-service free library whose mission is “to enrich the lives of all we serve.”

All proceeds for this event benefit the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library. Please call us with any questions. (207) 967-2778.

Thank you, Rose, Petal Partner and Peony sponsors!

 

Thank you, Dahlia and Sunflower sponsors!

Azalea Events, Cummings, Lamont and McNamee, A Highlanders Garden, Sarah & Tom Vander Schaaff, Lisa Coppola, Vicky & Mark Lamarre, Connie & John Dystra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WINE TASTING & ART RAFFLE ~ MAY 22 @ 5:00 PM

Join us on Thursday, May 22 at 5:00 p.m. for a very special wine tasting and unveiling of the art for our raffle fundraiser.
Local wine experts Lani Dietz and Betsy Ross will guide us through the program with ideas, pairings, and educational tidbits of the selected wines from around the globe.
   
A suggested donation for this program is $30 pp. Please call the Library 207-967-2778 to register; space is limited for this event.
One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Graves Library.
You Won’t Want to Miss it!
The print for the raffle is by Gretchen Huber. Gretchen Huber Warren has been exhibiting her work in galleries nationwide for over four decades. She has sold over 950 original pieces to collectors and corporations. She has participated in a wide variety of nationally juried shows. She also licenses her images for reproduction as limited edition prints, calendars, cards, and puzzles. Locally, her work has been displayed at The Wright Gallery in Cape Porpoise since 1986.
Gretchen’s oil paintings showcase an illustrator’s storytelling ability combined with an artist’s eye for composition and beauty. Gretchen’s paintings are distinguished by vibrant colors, striking light effects, and clear lines, giving them immediacy and a sense of presence. She enjoys capturing interesting scenes, whether they are a bucket of flowers, frogs in a pond, or a vintage gas station.

WINE TASTING WITH LANI DIETZ AND BETSY ROSS ~ MAY 16 @ 5:00 PM

Join us on Thursday, May 16 at 5:00 p.m. for a very special wine tasting and unveiling of the painting for our raffle fundraiser.
Local wine experts Lani Dietz and Betsy Ross will guide us through the program with ideas, pairings, and educational tidbits of the selected wines from around the globe.
   
A suggested donation for this program is $25 pp. Please call the Library (967-2778) to register; space is limited for this event.
One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Graves Library.
You Won’t Want to Miss it!

SECRET GARDENS OF THE KENNEBUNKS – JULY 13 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

According to Cicero, “if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

 

Purchase tickets at Consolidated School on Saturday, July 13

 

We are very pleased to announce that Graves Library’s Secret Gardens of the Kennebunks will be held again on Saturday, July 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (rain or shine). Six homeowners have agreed to open their private gardens for this one day only to help raise money for the Library. Tickets are $40 each. “Day-of” tickets will only be available for sale at Consolidated School.

On the day of the event, ticket holders should begin at Kennebunkport Consolidated School, 25 School Street, to pick up their map and any instructions.

A detailed map revealing the secret locations of the six participating properties will be provided to all ticket holders on the day of the tours. Visitors will be treated to a wide variety of garden styles and plant types amid lovely natural settings hidden from view behind stone walls, seaside cottages, and privacy hedges. Volunteers will be located at each garden to help with questions and where to park.

This year, we are also offering a special addition to the tour. If you are looking for a delicious option for lunch, our friends from Texas Grace will be here with their food truck. We encourage you to use the bathrooms and shop at our pop-up garden boutique. Other bathroom options are located behind Alisson’s Restaurant in Dock Square.

All proceeds for this event benefit the Graves Memorial Public Library. Please call us with any questions. (207) 967-2778.