Spring events bring new energy to Legacy Grove

Information for this arti­cle was com­piled from the April newslet­ter of Legacy Grove Park. The inno­v­a­tive park is locat­ed at 1107 W. Lexington Avenue in Winchester.

Spring has offi­cial­ly arrived at Legacy Grove, and the park is already buzzing with activ­i­ty, com­mu­ni­ty ener­gy, and the first signs of warmer days ahead. From stargaz­ing to sus­tain­able fash­ion, April is shap­ing up to be one of the most vibrant months of the year.

A star party to welcome spring

Legacy Grove kicked off the sea­son on the first day of spring with a Star Party host­ed by the Pinnacles Astronomy Club. Club pres­i­dent Jeff Hutton brought his sig­na­ture hand‑built red tele­scope, giv­ing vis­i­tors an up‑close look at the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, and even the Orion Nebula.

The Clark County Public Library joined in with crafts, give­aways, and raf­fles for both kids and adults. With per­fect weath­er, cook­ies and lemon­ade replaced the usu­al hot choco­late — a sure sign that spring has final­ly arrived.

More science‑based pro­grams are com­ing up this month:

• Sat, April 18, 10–2 pm — 6^th Annual Earth Day Celebration
• Wed, April 22, 10 am & 5 pm — Blooming Buddies: All About Veggies

Community work dance party plants new perennials

Twelve vol­un­teers recent­ly gath­ered for a Community Work Dance Party and plant­ed 60 new peren­ni­als near the park­ing lot. The Extension Office donat­ed the plants, which will pro­vide habi­tat and food sources for local wildlife. By sum­mer, vis­i­tors can expect bright yel­low Brown‑eyed Susans and pur­ple Salvia blooms wel­com­ing them to the park.

More Community Work Dance Parties are sched­uled this month (danc­ing optional):

• Mon, April 13, 4–6 pm
• Mon, April 27, 4–6 pm

Calling all sustainable fashion creators

Last year’s first‑ever Sustainable Fashion Show fea­tured five design­ers and more than 20 looks cre­at­ed through upcy­cling, thrift­ing, and repur­pos­ing. The show was a high­light of the Earth Day Celebration — and it’s returning.

Designers, crafters, and tex­tile artists inter­est­ed in show­cas­ing their work on the run­way are encour­aged to sign up and be part of this year’s event.

A sneak peek at Legacy Nights

Legacy Grove shared an ear­ly teas­er of the 2026 Legacy Nights t‑shirt design — still a work in progress, but already gen­er­at­ing excite­ment. More updates are com­ing soon, and vis­i­tors are encour­aged to click “Interested” on the event page to stay in the loop. A spe­cial thanks goes to Traditional Bank for spon­sor­ing the series.

Save the date: Earth Day celebration

The park’s biggest April event returns with a full day of activ­i­ties, give­aways, free plants, and envi­ron­men­tal con­ver­sa­tions. Visitors can enjoy:

• Coffee from The Daily Grind (9:30–11 am)
• Free lunch from Kentucky Farm Bureau (start­ing at 11 am)
• Sustainable Fashion Show (12 pm)
• Drum Circle (1 pm)

It’s one of the most antic­i­pat­ed com­mu­ni­ty gath­er­ings of the year.

Legacy giving: Commemorative bench program

Legacy Grove’s Commemorative Bench Program allows sup­port­ers to hon­or loved ones while con­tribut­ing a mean­ing­ful ameni­ty to the park. Only one bench remains avail­able. Each bench includes a per­son­al­ized plaque, and the dona­tion cost is $3,000. Those inter­est­ed can apply through the park’s form or con­tact Director Jayd Raines.

Plant of the month: Brown‑eyed Susan

Part of the new plant­i­ngs near the play­ground park­ing lot, Brown‑eyed Susan (Rudbeckia trilo­ba) is a cheer­ful, vibrant addi­tion to the park. Related to the Black‑eyed Susan, this vari­ety fea­tures small­er blooms and a fuller, bushi­er growth habit. By sum­mer, it will add a burst of yel­low to the landscape.

A spring update from the director

As the park comes back to life, Executive Director Jayd Raines shared an impor­tant sea­son­al update: water ser­vice will resume on April 15, which means the bath­rooms will reopen and the stream fea­ture will flow again. 

Raines thanked the com­mu­ni­ty for its patience dur­ing the win­ter months and expressed excite­ment for anoth­er sea­son of out­door fun at Legacy Grove.