HALES CORNERS, Wis. — Boerner Botanical Gardens has been serving the community for more than 80 years, and this weekend the beloved destination will transform into a winter wonderland for Winterfest.
The event welcomes visitors with free activities, seasonal displays, and a chance to experience the gardens in an entirely new way during a season when many would not typically visit.
Watch: Hales Corners nonprofit supports year-round programming at Boerner Botanical Gardens
"It's a very community-friendly outreach event to get people to Boerner at a time of year when they wouldn't normally come," said Ellen Hayward, president and CEO of Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens, the nonprofit organization that supports the gardens’ mission and programming.
Hayward said Winterfest represents just one example of how Boerner remains active throughout the year, with the gardens serving all local schools with year-round educational programs designed for continuous learning.
"The programs that we offer are continuous learning. It's intended that the kids actually learn and build plant biology, nutrition, all kinds of topics that relate to nature," Hayward said.
The gardens also provide a year-round facility and resource for mental health and socializing, offering hands-on experiences that create balance in an increasingly digital world.
"We're here year-round. We're a fabulous facility and resource for you for good mental health and socializing. The cellphone is a marvelous tool, but life is not lived on a cellphone, and it's really, really important to have all of the hands-on, tactile experiences of being in nature. It gives balance to life," Hayward said.
As Winterfest kicks off this weekend, organizers hope visitors will see how the gardens represent a living piece of local history — one that continues to grow because people show up, support it, and believe in its value all year long.
You can support the organization by visiting their site here.
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