85th Annual West Avenue Garden Tour

Visitors are invited on Sunday, April 26th to bring friends and family to one of the most celebrated garden tours in Richmond, an opportunity to see a variety of remarkable urban gardens that remain tucked away behind gates and walls for the remainder of the year. In its 85th year, the West Avenue Garden Tour continues to delight visitors and Fan neighbors with inspirations for their own outdoor spaces.

The West Avenue Improvement Association (WAIA) is the oldest neighborhood association in Richmond, comprising West Avenue and the blocks of Park Avenue, Franklin Street, and Harrison Street that share alleys with West Avenue. In 1940 a group of neighbors brainstormed a means to beautify the neighborhood and came up with the idea of a Garden Tour. The walled rear gardens, tree boxes, and tiny street-front gardens are evaluated for awards by independent judges on the day before the tour using criteria established by renowned landscape architect Charles Gillette in 1966. The winners display their awards and colorful flags on the day of the public tour. The formation of the WAIA grew out of the success of this first Garden Tour and the tradition has continued to this day.

This year’s Garden Tour activities begin on Sunday, April 26th at noon with a children’s parade, games and activities on the 1100 block of West Avenue, which is closed to vehicular traffic for the event. Rear gardens open at 1 pm from the alleys. The Garden Tour is Free and Open to The Public.

MORE INFO: Visit the WAIA website at www.westavenue.org