Swissvale Edible Garden Tour
The 2024 tour will be on Saturday, July 20! Stay tuned for more details.
Check out the 2024 form here to sign up as a host, volunteer, or sponsor.
Now in its 6th year, the Swissvale Edible Garden Tour has become more than just a fun, free community event - it has also created network of gardeners throughout Swissvale and the region who inspire each other and support new gardeners in growing food in our communities!
This year’s tour will be on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Open Gardens will take place between 9:00am - 1:00pm, and the Community Picnic will follow at the Swissvale Farmers Market at 1:30pm - 3:30pm.
(2023 details below - we’ll be updating with 2024 information soon!)
2023 event flyer created by Abby Diamond
10:00AM-2:00PM: Open Gardens (private gardens all over Swissvale) - See how Swissvalians grow food (and more) and meet the gardeners. Stop by the Info Table at the Swissvale Farmers Market (9AM-2PM, 7301 Schoyer Ave) to pick up event guides, ask questions, buy a t-shirt or sticker, and fill your reusable water bottle.
2:30PM-5:00PM: Community Picnic at the Swissvale Farmers Market (Dickson Preparatory Steam Academy, 7301 Schoyer Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218) - Summer garden party! Join us for food, activities for all ages, and entertainment. Gardening-themed raffle gift basket prize drawn at 3:30PM.* New this year: a carrot cake baking competition!
The choose-your-own adventure style tour includes gardens throughout the borough, including the spaces of new and experienced gardeners. Visitors can expect to see a diverse array of edible garden features. Attendees to the tour can stop at the info table to pick up a guide and are then welcome to visit as many gardens as they like, in whichever order they choose.
Through this free, community-wide event, we hope to showcase Swissvale as a great place to garden, visit, and live. We are also seeking to promote the real and tangible benefits of gardening; gardening beautifies and connects community, promotes physical and mental wellbeing, and has far-reaching ecological benefits. We hope to build confidence in newer gardeners and inspire young people to get their hands dirty and get growing.
* Registrants will be entered to win a gardening-themed gift basket. Must be present at the community picnic at the Swissvale Farmers Market by 3:30pm to win, and must be claimed by 5pm.
The Swissvale Edible Garden Tour is a project of SAGE: Swissvale Area Gardening Enthusiasts, supporting local food system projects such as the Swissvale Farmers Market and Swissvale Community Garden. All proceeds are dedicated to a designated organization each year.
Thank you to Swissvale-based business Porter Loves for all of the amazing photography documenting five years of the garden tour! These photographs were taken by Nathan Shaulis and Rachel Liang.