Bok Tower celebration-Free Admission

http://boktowergardens.org/founders-day-celebration/

Join us in celebrating our 85th anniversary with up-close-and-personal experiences at the Gardens. We will be open free of charge on Saturday, February 1 in honor of our Dedication Day ceremony and events.

Bok Tower Gardens commemorates its 85^th anniversary with free admission and a special Dedication Day ceremony on Saturday, February 1 with former U.S. Senator Bob Graham. Your Story Is Our Story is the theme of the day’s event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The National Historic Landmark was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge on February 1, 1929 as a gift to the American people from Pulitzer Prize-winning author, humanitarian and world peace advocate Edward Bok.  Bok’s grandmother told him to “make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it,” which he did throughout his lifetime – and it still guides the Gardens’ mission today.

Crossing the Moat – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

One of the Gardens’ most popular special events, “Crossing the Moat,” gives visitors a rare opportunity to pass through the historic iron gates that surround the Singing Tower for a closer look at the Great Brass Door. Designed by renowned master metal worker Samuel Yellin, the Tower’s imposing door weighs approximately 1,100 pounds and features 32 brass panels depicting the Biblical story of creation.

Dedication Day Ceremony – 11 a.m.

Japanese drummers will perform at 10:15 a.m. to invite all present to the Singing Tower for a ceremony featuring the presentation of the colors by the Lake Wales High School JROTC, followed by the singing of “America the Beautiful” by Amelia Updike, community volunteer and friend of Bok Tower Gardens.
Father Tom Seitz, Jr. from the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales will give the invocation, and the City of Lake Wales will present a proclamation declaring the first week of February as “Bok Tower Gardens Week.”
Former U.S. Senator Bob Graham will speak about the rich history and passion of Edward Bok and the historical importance of Bok Tower Gardens to the State of Florida. This will be followed by a major announcement affecting the future of the Gardens.
Dundee Ridge Middle School “Select Choir,” directed by Cathy Montero, will perform together with Geert D’hollander on the Singing Tower carillon. Complimentary refreshments will be served immediately following the ceremony.

Tree Planting – 2 p.m.

In keeping with Edward Bok’s enduring interest in nature, the Gardens will host a special tree planting ceremony at 2 p.m. The trees serve as a memento of the anniversary and a tangible way to follow the advice given to a young Edward by his grandmother to “make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.”

Other February 1 Activities:

• Free Pinewood Estate tours from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m.
• Free greenhouse tours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Free conservation tours at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m.
• Distribution of 2,500 longleaf pine seedlings for visitors to plant at home
• “A Look Back” exhibit in the Visitor Center featuring lesser-known facts, stories and photographs from throughout the Gardens’ 85-year history

FREE admission to Bok Tower Gardens

Commemorating Our Past, Present and Future...

Save the date for our Dedication Day Celebration on February 1 as we commemorate our 85th anniversary with free admission to the Gardens! This momentous occasion will feature special activities including guest speakers, carillon concerts, a tree planting ceremony, and a rare opportunity to Cross the Moat surrounding the Singing Tower.

Join us to be among the first to hear a major announcement affecting the future of the Gardens and to help us celebrate our past, present and future.

Boktoberfest

Boktoberfest

 

 

 

Join Us At Boktoberfest!

Join us again at Bok Tower Gardens for the fifth annual Boktoberfest Plant Sale, Central Florida’s most unique Oktoberfest celebration, on October 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

8 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Plant Sale
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Family Activities
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Tree Climbing
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Biergarten
10 a.m. – Brian Sutherland Trio
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Pinewood Estate Tours
11:30 a.m. – Wacky Jackie The Clown
Noon – Oktoberfest Show
1 & 3 p.m. – Live Carillon Concerts
2:30 p.m. – Jane Rosenbohm
4 p.m. – Wacky Jackie The Clown
4:30 p.m. – Cross Canyon



Bok Tower Gardens will offer free admission for the fifth annual Boktoberfest Plant Sale on October 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature live music, German food, craft beers, tree climbing and activities for kids.
“Boktoberfest celebrates the start of Florida’s gardening season,” explains David Price, Gardens’ president, “where plant lovers and gardeners can come to find a wide variety of Florida plants and learn from experts to help make the most of their garden.”
Some of the plants for sale will include orchids, palms, trees, tropical fruits, Florida natives, ferns, bamboo, roses, heliconias, bromeliads, tillandsia air plants and water lilies. Education will be provided by Master Gardeners, plant societies, garden clubs and the UF-IFAS Extension Service. Expert gardeners will host free educational workshops throughout the day.
This year’s festivities will feature the Jimmy & Eckhard Oktoberfest Show, a three-member lederhosen ensemble performing authentic German music. The group plays instruments from Germany, Austria and Switzerland including long Swiss alphorns the size of trees; a wooden Alpine xylophone, that is often referred to as “wooden laughter;” the “Singing Saw” and more.
Voted “Florida’s Best Garden,” the National Historic Landmark was dedicated in 1929 as a gift from world peace advocate Edward Bok. Nearly 700 acres of conservation lands and gardens surround a 205-foot neo-Gothic and art deco Singing Tower carillon and Pinewood Estate, a 20-room, Mediterranean-style 1930s winter retreat. The popular Central Florida destination is a haven for wildlife with hidden geocaches and rare plants found nowhere else in the world where visitors come to relax and escape the stress of today’s busy world.