If you’re looking for a great excuse to spend a spring Saturday in New Haven, this is it.
On Saturday, May 10 from 10 am to 5 pm, the Garden Club of New Haven is celebrating 100 years of beautifying the Elm City with a daylong centennial celebration filled with free activities, floral art, history, local artists, and more — all centered around the New Haven Green.
But this is a whole lot more than a garden party. It’s a deep dive into the cultural, environmental, and civic legacy of one of Connecticut’s most dedicated community organizations.
And it’s all happening alongside the annual Wake Up the Green Festival, making downtown New Haven the place to be for the weekend and offering the perfect Connecticut springtime activity.
What to Expect
Start your morning with a stroll beneath the elm trees (yes, the ones the Club has been restoring for decades), where you’ll find everything from kids’ flower workshops (this is a great event to take the kids to!) and gardening advice from local experts, to free seed packets from members’ own gardens.
Over 30 Connecticut artists will be painting live around the Green—so you’re likely to go home with more than just inspiration. Their finished pieces will be featured at DaSilva Gallery in Westville starting June 5.
And if you’ve ever admired New Haven’s tree-lined paths or spring blossoms, you can thank the GCNH. Since the 1980s, they’ve been leading the effort to keep the Green lush, resilient, and beautiful.
Just across the street, step into the New Haven Free Public Library to see the Centennial Flower Show, themed Nature and the Written Word. Floral designers will bring the words of Toni Morrison, Amanda Gorman, Robert Frost, and others to life in full bloom. Think of it as poetry with petals.
Over at Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (1–3 pm), you’ll find vintage maps, historic park plans, and a look at how New Haven’s green spaces have evolved over the past four centuries. It’s a rare opportunity to see documents that helped shape the city’s landscapes — including early visions of the Green and Grove Street Cemetery.
Speaking of Grove Street Cemetery, from 12–2 pm you can take part in guided or self-guided tours that explore both the cemetery’s history and its stunning plant life. A new Arboretum Tour map highlights 40 tree and shrub species across a 1.3-mile walk — all part of a project spearheaded by GCNH members.
At 2 pm, head to the New Haven Museum for a screening of The New Haven Green: Heart of a City, a beautifully produced short documentary narrated by Paul Giamatti and directed by Emmy-winner Karyl Evans. Stick around afterward for a mini-exhibit from the Club’s archives.
Next up: Phelps Triangle Park, a blink-and-you-miss-it gem at Whitney Ave and Trumbull Street that GCNH has cared for since the 1970s. It’s a small space with a big story — and it’s getting long-term support thanks to a new fund honoring beloved member Carol F. Ross.
The celebration wraps up with music, cupcakes, and plenty of good vibes at the Audubon Park of the Arts from 4–5 pm, marking both the Club’s centennial and the completion of the Farmington Canal Greenway project. The Club will also honor environmental champion Nancy Alderman with a posthumous award and tree dedication.
More Than a Celebration — It’s a Legacy
This event is the capstone to a year full of meaningful community work.
Over the past year, GCNH has:
- Donated and planted shrubs with more than 35 nonprofit partners
- Hosted a powerful panel on the value of urban green spaces
- Launched a Fund for the Future scholarship program for students in environmental fields
- Named six Centennial Environmental Heroes, planting trees across the city in their honor
Founded in 1924, the Garden Club of New Haven has spent a century advocating for the natural beauty of public spaces, partnering with organizations across the city, and educating the next generation of stewards.
From planting tulips at the Creative Arts Workshop in the 1980s to mapping New Haven’s urban canopy in the 2010s, their legacy is visible in every corner of the city.
This celebration isn’t just about looking back — it’s about showing what’s possible when a group of dedicated volunteers works quietly, persistently, and passionately to make their community better.
If you’ve never been to a flower show, taken a walking arboretum tour, or seen artists paint in real time on the New Haven Green… this is your moment.
To learn more, make a donation, or get involved, visit www.gardenclubofnewhaven.org or follow @GardenClubofNewHaven on Instagram and Facebook.
