Newark Garden Tour 2026

May 16 (rain date, May 17)  10am -3pm

Purchase Tickets Here!

Silent Auction Here!

The Newark Garden Tour returns this May in partnership with the Countryside Garden Club, united by this year’s theme:

Garden Harmonies 

This year, we’re venturing into the beautiful Hockessin area—an exciting expansion where thoughtfully designed gardens showcase harmonious blends of color, texture, and natural rhythm—while still keeping every stop within a convenient 15-minute drive of the Newark Arts Alliance. Come explore this vibrant landscape, where each garden offers its own unique composition of beauty, balance, and adaptation.

Central “hub” with on-site ticketing and info desk

Natalie’s Fine Foods food truck

A Plant Swap on Saturday, May 23 from 1-4pm at UUSMC (see below)

“Eco-Printing” Workshop with Maria Campos Vera of Vera Studio – during the tour! See Below.

Family portrait sessions by Vicente Productions

New music, new artists, and new vendors!

Garden Talks – “Introduction to Composting” (May 6, 1-2pm) and “Tips and Tricks for Growing, Propagating, and Transplanting Plants in Pots” (May 30, 11am-12pm). )More info on the tour’s ticketing page!)

Online silent auction featuring hand painted/handmade planters and merchandise from local businesses

…And much more!

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Newark Garden Tour 2024 (benefiting the Newark Arts Alliance)
Saturday, June 1, 2024, 10am-3pm
Raindate: Sunday, June 2, 10am-3pm

TICKETS HERE! Tickets are $25 ($20 if you’re an NAA member) – tickets for kids under 5 are free, and tickets for kids ages 5-12 are $10. Once you’ve purchased your tickets, you’ll receive a map of the garden locations (the night before the tour) to choose your own adventure!

Take a stroll through ten unique, private gardens in the Newark area: soak in the beautiful blooms, learn about local plants, and get inspired! 

The Newark Arts Alliance is again hosting the Newark Garden Tour, an annual tour of some of the most lush and enchanting gardens in and around Newark. The gardens on this year’s tour all appeal to the visitor to stay and relax a while, but all make that appeal in unique ways. Many gardens have water features, some will host live music, and others will showcase original art and art-making demos. As always, gardens will feature different aesthetics and give visitors ideas for what to do in their own gardens, from using native plants that help pollinators to finding that perfect, sassy piece of yard art.

New Features in 2024

Several new elements make this year’s Garden Tour especially exciting! Steve Ruiz’s Mojo Loco 302 food truck (FB/IG) will be stationed where there are three gardens close together. There will be a small farmer’s market with Trebs Thompson of Whimsical Farms and Christina’s Peter’s of Posy Parlor, where visitors can buy plants and flowers. One garden will feature pollinator plant giveaways (milkweed and hyssop lovingly raised by Rachel Brewer and Yvonne Settle). There will also be a silent auction of gorgeous hand-painted watering cans, decorated by local artists, to benefit the Newark Arts Alliance! Information on all of these offerings will be shared with ticket holders. 

 If you’re interested in garden-hopping by bike, BikeNewark has plotted out a (slightly abridged) tour for the day. This 5.67 mile route is mostly downhill, and a great way to enjoy the Garden Tour! A group ride will set out from the parking lot at Fairfield Park just off Cambridge Drive at 9:30am the day of the tour. 

One of the biggest changes this year is a spotlight sponsorship from Scenic Outdoors (FB/IG), a local landscaping firm. Lisa and Savvas from Scenic Outdoors assisted with identifying 4 of the gardens on this year’s tour. In addition, they have provided a beautiful barrel of annuals for a raffle that will be run through social media (and in person at the Arts Alliance) on the day of the tour. More information TBA.

Local Musician Lineup

• Sharon Bousquet website
• Serenata Strings – string quartet
• DJ Verdell Smith Instagram Spotify
• Scott Comeaux – classic rock
• The Professors – folk trio of UD fame!
• PJs Pub Tour Facebook
• Josh Hendrix YouTube
• Newark Ukesters website
• Connor Capizzi –

Local Artist Lineup

• Urban Sketchers Facebook Instagram
• Estelle Lukoff Etsy Instagram
• Gerry Scarfe – plein air painting
• Maureen Coughlin – fused glass
• Carol Gray website
• Karen Yarnall – plein air painting
• Cathy Hill – bobbin lace
• Carole Huber – weaving Instagram
• Mary Anderson Instagram
• Joy Smith Instagram
• Kelly Martin website Instagram

Hand-painted Watering Can Silent Auction

Fifteen local artists have transformed ordinary watering cans into exceptional works of art. View them all at the Newark Arts Alliance and bid on your favorite! You will have all week to bid – winners will be announced on June 7th at 4:30. Winners will also receive an invitation to our VIP Garden Tour closing reception, also on June 7th from 6-8pm. You do not need to be present to win.

Container garden raffle sponsored by Scenic Outdoors

Enter to win this beautiful container garden overflowing with colorful annuals, created by Scenic Outdoors! Please stop by the NAA for a raffle ticket (given to ticket-holders with their map and program), and/or snap a selfie on the tour and tag The Newark Arts Alliance by 3pm. Winner will be announced at 3:30 on social media.

Thank you to our Supporters and Partners

The 2024 Garden Tour was supported in part by The Newark Partnership. The Newark Arts Alliance is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

The NAA is again having a fundraiser to coincide with the popular Newark Garden Tour, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 3, 10am-3pm. Artists are asked to decorate a rock or series of rocks that can be displayed outside. We will provide rocks to anyone who would like them, or an artist can use their own. We ask that the rocks be outdoor ready by sealing the surface with an outdoor sealant. They can be painted, collaged or mosaicked. Are there other rock worthy methods? Artists will not be compensated for their work but will receive a free garden ticket and publicity through the NAA. All rocks become the property of the NAA. 

Deadline to register: May 13, 2023

Deadline to submit completed rock(s) and delivered to the NAA: Saturday, May 20, 4pm.

Where to drop off the rocks: Newark Arts Alliance, 276 E. Main St., Ste. 102, Newark, DE 19711

Hours: Tues, Wed., Fri., Sat., 12-4pm, Thurs., 4-7pm

Display Details: On Saturday, June 3, 10am-4pm (the day of the Garden Tour, the tour runs 10am-3pm), the decorated rocks will be displayed at the NAA in the Main Gallery. We will set the prices. Any rocks not purchased that day will be displayed in the Gallery Shop at the NAA and offered for sale. All proceeds benefit the NAA.

Our rock or yours? The NAA will supply up to six rocks per artist OR you can obtain your own to embellish.

How to register: Artists should fill out the attached registration form and submit it via mail, email, or drop off to the NAA by May 13.

NAA Rock Pick up: We can supply rocks for you to decorate. You may choose up to six rocks. Rocks may be picked up at the NAA during business hours any time starting April 18.

Promotion & Perks: We will advertise your participation in this event through our website and social media. We will photograph your finished work and give you credit whenever possible. If you wish to share images of your artistic process, we welcome them. Email to terry@newarkartsalliance.org. Artists will be given one free ticket to the Garden Tour as a small thank you for contributing to this project.