May 23, 2025
Local News

Vendors, plants abound at Itasca library's inaugural garden fest

By JENNY CASALE
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Itasca Community Library Director Tuki Sathaye holds a passport Tuesday that guests will use when they visit vendors during the library's Simply Gardening festival Saturday. (Erica Benson)

ITASCA – Itasca Community Library patrons will be able to check out more than books on Saturday when they visit the library. Guests of all ages are invited to enjoy the many activities during Simply Gardening, the library's first garden festival.

Highlighting the festivities will be an indoor garden path, leading visitors to the 13 vendors in the library who will be doing demonstrations and answering gardening questions.

Upon entering, guests will be given a seed packet and passport card to have stamped as they visit each vendor. When the card is completely stamped, patrons will be eligible to enter the drawing for a basket filled with gardening equipment and a potted plant.

Vendors will include Baby Carrots, Ltd., Buschia Garden, Cantigny Foundation, Ground Pros, Itasca Garden Club and Kane County Audubon. Master beekeeper Lawrence DuBose also will share his expertise at the library.

Platt Hill Nursery, Root 66 Garden Shop, Ruff Landscaping, University of Illinois Extension, Warnimont’s Hardware and Conservation Foundation representatives will be on hand for the event as well.

For visitors looking to enhance their garden, a perennial sale will be hosted by members of the Itasca Garden Club.

And children will not leave empty-handed, as the library’s youth services department will have crafts for young patrons to make.

“We’re trying to make it a family event,” said Tuki Sathaye, library director.

Itasca’s Peacock Middle School students will add to the event with the many art pieces they created to display throughout the library.

Sathaye said she is grateful to everyone who has helped, in one way or another, to offer this event.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” she said. “We needed everyone’s support.”

Sathaye is especially grateful to the Garden Club members who collaborated on this event with the Friends of the Itasca Library.

“It’s our first one, and I hope it’s the first of many in the years to come,” Garden Club President Jean Hoder said. “We are looking to promote interest and education for gardening in the community.”

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If you go

What: Simply Gardening, Itasca's first garden festival
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Itasca Community Library, 500 W. Irving Park Road
Cost: Free