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The eighth HerbFest will draw visitors
to downtown Wake Forest the weekend of
April 20-22, and this year gardeners can
purchase eco-friendly plants that are
raised using beneficial soil microbes,
organically-based fertilizer and
non-harmful pest and disease treatments.
Most herb plants will be
sold in pots made from biodegradable
rice hulls that will decompose in a
compost pile. And, as organizer
Elizabeth Johnson said, the plants are
from local growers “so they will perform
well for gardeners here in our
community.
“We are determined not to
run out of basil this year,” Bob
Johnson, the HerbFest founder, said. In
fact, there will be nearly double the
amount of perennial plans and a greater
selection of herbs this year.
There will also be
independent vendors selling garden
sculpture, herbal soaps and lotions,
herbal food products and other items
that will appeal to gardeners and
homeowners.
The entertainment this year
will again include the daily “Duck
Parade” at 10:30 each morning. A
trumpeter will call the ducks from their
crate to walk the carpet to their
temporary home, a pen with a baby pool.
The ducks, of course, are expected to
fully cooperate with this program.
Friday night there will be
an open acoustic mike at the gazebo.
Saturday morning the
Franklin Academy Jazz Band will perform,
and there will be a theatrical
performance at 1 p.m. that day.
This year’s HerbFest will
raise funds for the Graham Johnson
Cultural Arts Endowment the Johnson
family began last year after the death
of their son, Graham. The focus of the
fun is to enrich the education of local
students through cultural arts
opportunities.
Many of Graham’s classmates
from Franklin Academy will volunteer at
HerbFest again this year.
HerbFest will be open in the
gazebo parking lot on South White Street
in downtown Wake Forest rain or shine.
The hours Friday and Saturday, April 20
and 21, will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 22, the hours will be 10
a.m. to 4 p.m.
This is a free event open to
everyone. |
