Wellfield Botanic Gardens hosted its annual Taste of the Gardens on Sunday, drawing crowds for local food, live music and artists set among the park’s ponds and pathways.
Director of Operations Jodie Papandrea said the event remains a key fundraiser for the nonprofit garden. “Taste of the Gardens is a fundraiser for Wellfield Botanic Gardens. We have artists, live music and local restaurants,” she said. “And this year we have a Dahlia show. It’s a way to grow community and have a good time and enjoy the gardens.”
The festival began 16 years ago as a project of the Elkhart Rotary Club, which organized the event and supplied many of its volunteers in the early years.
Sunday marked the first Taste of the Gardens since Wellfield completed major renovations. Papandrea said the upgrades changed how the event runs. “We have additional parking on site, which is wonderful,” she said. “We have the new Woodland Pavilion that we can have a band in … with covered space instead of being in a tent. So it just enhances the event.”
The Elkhart Dahlia Society staged its show inside the garden’s event rooms, adding another draw for visitors exploring the new visitor center and Woodland Pavilion.
Papandrea emphasized that Wellfield relies on community support and volunteer help. “We are a not-for-profit organization … without the support of the people in this community, Wellfield would not exist,” she said. “There’s a lot of volunteer opportunities, so there’s something for everyone if they want to help and be a part of Wellfield.”
The new pavilion gives the festival a permanent stage for live music, a feature organizers say will anchor future Taste of the Gardens performances.
