When you support the Glorious Garden Festival, you contribute to the following:
- The Glorious Garden Festival itself, which aims to educate our community about the benefits of gardening, teach various gardening techniques, and inspire participants through visits to local gardens at the Garden Walk, which attracts over 750 ticketholders. This event also supports more than 40 local artists through the sale of their fine art and skilled craftsmanship and connects visitors with numerous local non-profit organizations at the Garden Fair, which is attended by over 1000 visitors.
- 20+ yearly public events on the David Davis Mansion grounds, including Lincoln’s Birthday, the Spring Festival and Egg Hunt, the Champagne British Car Show, the Antique Auto Show, the Cruise-In at the Mansion, Mystery at the Mansion, Christmas at the Mansions, A Gilded Age Christmas, author events, behind the scenes tours, and more which entertain and inform our community. These events bring over 8,000 visitors to the mansion each year, and help foster a sense of appreciation and understanding for history, science, and the arts.
- Free field trips led by experienced guides, available to all schools in Bloomington-Normal and beyond, which allow over 1,500 kids per year to explore the David Davis Mansion and Sarah’s Garden with curriculum aligned to Illinois State Education Standards. We also provide online field trip materials and video content for teachers and parents for free download.
- Youth programs such as the Children’s Gardening Program and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, designed to educate hundreds of scouts and their friends about history and science.
- Restoration and maintenance projects at the David Davis Mansion and Sarah’s Garden, which keep the mansion looking beautiful and structurally sound. These can include painting and wall repair, the replacement of a barn roof, the propagation of heirloom plants, and so much more.
- Research and publications, such as our latest book The David Davis Mansion, 1872- 2022: 150 Years at Clover Lawn which document the history of the mansion and the Davis family, and their importance to local, state, and national history. To date, the mansion has 7 publications which chronicle its history, while also supporting a mansion researcher who continues the work to preserve its legacy.
You can find out more information about the David Davis Mansion HERE and a list of our upcoming events HERE.
