Registration deadline has been extended to September 21st.
Trip Cost: $60 members/$75 nonmembers
Pre-registration is required.
Join Dr. Sue Hamilton, UT Gardens director, and fellow garden enthusiasts for a fun day-trip to Gibbs Garden, a beautiful public garden just an hour north of Atlanta. It’s an ideal time to visit, because, not only will you get to revel in the 220 acres of Gibbs' summer beauty but you can enjoy their Fall Arts Festival and Monet Waterlily Festival. The French-inspired Waterlily Festival showcases hundreds of Waterlilies in bloom along with a French market featuring chocolates, flowers, soaps, produce and French-inspired cuisine available for purchase (wine and beer for purchase too!). You can also shop the juried Arts and Crafts Show with over 48 vendors selling their original work; categories include 2-D Mixed Media, 3-D Mixed Media, Clay, Drawing, Fiber/Leather, Glass, Metal, Painting-oil/acrylic, Painting-watercolor/pastel, Photography, Sculpture, Wood and Jewelry. Lunch will be on your own. When it’s time for a bite to eat, head for the Gibbs’ Arbor Café, where you can enjoy a delicious lunch or snack (https://www.gibbsgardens.com/visit/arbor-cafe-menu), or enjoy a delectable assortment of French cuisine that will be offered for sale at the Festival.
If you've never been to Gibbs Garden, here's a little background - Jim Gibbs traveled for 15 years covering the nation and the world viewing gardens of every style and decided that he wanted to design and build a world class garden. He spent six years looking for a suitable site with a strong source of water and beautiful mature trees covering a rolling topography. It was truly “a dream come true” when he found the most beautiful site in the nation to construct the garden. The property is 292 acres and the house and gardens include 220 acres, making it one of the nation’s largest residential estate gardens. You can visit their web site for more information at https://www.gibbsgardens.com/
A chartered bus will leave Knoxville on Saturday, September 23th at 7:00 am. *See bus departure location and parking instructions below. We will stop at the TN-GA Stateline Visitor Center for a restroom break and then arrive at Gibbs Garden about 10:30 am. You will have until 2:45 to enjoy the gardens and festivals and then we will head back to Knoxville leaving promptly at 3:00 pm. We will stop at The Barn Nursery in Chattanooga for restrooms and a quick shopping spree at this wonderful garden center. We will arrive in Knoxville about 7:30 pm.
The trip is limited to 47 participants so register soon. Registration deadline has been extended to September 21st. The fee, which covers transportation and admission into Gibbs Garden, is $60 members/$75 nonmembers (a portion of the fee will be a donation to benefit the UT Gardens). Lunch is on your own.
If you feel you'd like to enjoy the gardens without having to be on your feet, they offer a tram rotating to different stops every 30 minutes ($5 plus tax). The Barn Nursery is right off an I-75 exit on the way home where we can take a restroom break and shop for a few minutes. http://barnnursery.com/
*Bus Departure Location & Parking Instructions: Because Saturday, September 23rd is a UT Football Game Day, we will be parking and departing off-campus! Meet at Central Baptist Church in Bearden located at 6300 Deane Hill Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. We have permission to park in their lot located furthest behind the church. This parking lot is behind Anderson avenue which runs behind the church. You will easily see the bus coach which will be there ready for loading at 6:40 am.
