Event Details

Included with Garden admission.

Enjoy tours of Bloemendaal House and imagine its early days as the original Lakeside Wheel Club. The weekend is full of music and activities highlighting the Garden’s past; please see the schedule below.

Strolling and serenading through the Garden
Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Four In The Morning
This quartet from The Virginians Barbershop Chorus recalls popular music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Historic Bloemendaal House
Saturday, Noon to 3 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m.
Open House
Garden Guides welcome you into Bloemendaal, originally the Lakeside Wheel Club built by Lewis Ginter in 1894 and the home of Grace Arents from 1913 until her death in 1926.  In the Lecture Hall, linger to watch the 30-minute documentary, Lewis Ginter:  A Quiet Contribution (showings at 12:15, 1:15, and 2:15) and view a special exhibit on The Entrepreneurial Mr. Ginter. A special thanks to the Richmond Designers’ Guild for floral arrangements.

Historic Bloemendaal House
Sunday, 1:30  p.m. (only)
Reading of House Resolution No. 187
The Honorable Betsy Carr reads Virginia House of Delegates Resolution No.187 commending the Garden on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.

Under the Bloemendaal House Tent
Saturday and Sunday at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
The Titanic String Band
Enjoy 30-minute performances of ragtime-era music by Peter LaBau, banjo and Mitch Nelin, mando-cello.

Departing from/Returning to Bloemendaal House
Saturday, 1 to 2:45 p.m.; Sunday 1 to 3:45 p.m.
Lakeside Trolley Rides
Ride the trolley along the perimeter of the Garden, while a Garden Guide provides commentary about the Garden’s evolution.  Loop rides lasting 20 minutes begin and end at Bloemendaal House; 14 passenger limit.

Under the Children’s Garden Tent
Saturday Noon, 1 and 2 p.m.; Sunday 1, 2, and 3 p.m.
Flea Circus and Street Theatre Performances by Doc Volz
Family-friendly entertainment recalls the era when traveling road shows came to town and captured the imaginations of young and old. Each performance lasts 30 minutes; come and go as you please!

Strolling the Grace Arents Garden

Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m.
Miss Grace and Uncle Lewis
A costumed interpreter portraying Grace Arents enjoys spring blooms in the Garden with her uncle, Lewis Ginter.

On the Lawn of Bloemendaal House
Throughout the afternoon
Vintage Bicycles on Display
Cycling enthusiasts, gather around a display of vintage bicycles, enjoy learning about bicycle history, and imagine Bloemendaal House in its heyday as the Lakeside Wheel Club.

For your further enjoyment and entertainment near Bloemendaal House:

• Dress-up trunk and photo opportunities under the Darlington Oak
• The Ice Cream Connection selling hand-dipped ice cream cones

Guest Dining Opportunities

• Garden Café in the Robins Visitors Center: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Robins Tea House: Open 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Sunday Brunch by reservation, 262-9887, ext. 329