Our Garden Party & Fundraising Sale is this Saturday!

Saturday, March 24

9am-3pm

at Community Forklift

Our Annual Garden Party is a fun-filled event with a ton of landscaping and garden supplies; gardening demonstrations, experts, and vendors; activities for kids; live bands; and local food.

The party starts with our highly anticipated tool sale…

Throughout the winter, we collect gently-used and surplus lawn & garden supplies as well as outdoor décor and furniture. Then, we put it all out for your shopping pleasure! The sale begins at 9:00 am Saturday, but folks start lining up outside the gates even earlier, eager to dig through piles of flowerpots and shovels. (If you can’t get there in the morning, don’t worry – our staff continues to bring out items throughout the day.)

The Garden Sale is the Forklift’s biggest fundraiser each year. Proceeds support our work to create green jobs, reduce waste, educate the public about reuse, and provide free supplies to nonprofits and neighbors in need.

Note to early birds: No lawn and garden supplies are out yet. The Forklift will not have any garden items available until 9am on March 24.

This year, the party starts when the gates open at 9am!

There will be prizes for people and pets dressed in garden party finery.

Photo by Carrie Delesky

So find yourself a dapper suit or fancy hat, and check out all the activities in store for you!

More partners and details are coming soon, but here’s what we can share right now:

Local Experts and Teachers

Anacostia Watershed Society
Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage
MOM’s Organic Market
Prince George’s County Master Gardener Program
Veteran Compost

Vendors

ECO City Farms will be here with seedlings, already sprouted and ready to go right into your garden.
Elements of Nature will be selling home-crafted teas and houseplants.
Hyattsville Horticulture Society will be selling vegetable, flower, and herb seeds, along with some helpful gardening books and used garden equipment.
The Colmar Manor Garden Club will be selling an additional variety of seedlings.
Capitol Hill Art League will be here with a gallery of their garden-themed artwork.

Photo by Carrie Delesky

Activities for All Ages

Make & Take Crafting– Visit the Anacostia Watershed Society’s table for a unique upcycling craft: Make your own paper out of invasive plants!
Strike a Pose– Stroll the salvaged carpet and pose in our selfie-photobooth.
Reuseosaur Scavenger Hunt– Kids can hunt down dinosaurs (with trivia answers) hidden in the warehouse to win prizes.
Face Painting– Rachel of Signs, Wonders and Gifts will turn your face into a work of art!
Strolling Magician– You won’t believe your eyes!

Live Music

10am-11pm: Bellwether Bayou

Based in Washington, DC, Bellwether Bayou brings looping violin & soulful vocals together to create a modern take on classic folk sensibilities. Her sound mixes original tunes with unexpected covers & new spins on old traditionals.

12pm-1pm: The Vico Cycle

The Vico Cycle is a group of like-minded musicians based in the Washington, DC metro area who have come together to blend rock, funk, blues, soul, & hip-hop into a lively fusion of raw sound.

2pm-3pm: Oh He Dead

Oh He Dead is a smoky, folk-soul rock band from Washington, DC. Led by the stirringly passionate harmonies of Cynthia Johnson and Andrew Valenti, Oh He Dead mixes R&B influences with poignant lyrics to move both your soul and your feet.

Free Workshops

Click the titles to reserve your space!

10:30am-11:30am: TBA
12:30pm-1:30pm: Home Composting- Tips, Techniques, & Troubleshooting, presented by Fritz Gottschalk of Veteran Compost
2:30pm-3:30pm: Living a Naturally Healthy Life with Herbs and Houseplants, presented by Linda Jones of Elements of Nature

Weather Permitting: Outdoor Pallet Creations, presented by Matt Menke of Community Forklift and Gary Barnhart of GL Barnhart Construction

And delicious local food from County Manners!

County Manners is brought to you by Chef Jeremy; a true “County Boy” at heart with deep roots in Southern Maryland. His passion for food was built on cooking fresh caught fish over a campfire on the Potomac River. He created a unique concept by combining traditions passed on to him by family and his years of experience as chefs. Brisket, pork, and shrimp are his most popular sandwiches (menu subject to change with the seasons), and he’ll also have a vegetarian option available. “I look forward to bringing you the best of what Southern Maryland has to offer.”