After two years of an abbreviated format, the Sacred Heart Garden Festival returns in full force April 24-25.
“We’re actually moving to the old model of having the festival at Sacred Heart and the garden tours. Everybody is really excited about that,” said Millie Huff, Sacred Heart Cultural Center executive director.
Hurricane Helene put a damper on the community garden portion of the event last, but gardens are rebounding. Two years ago, only gardens were featured minus the vendors and speakers
This year the combo is back.
Huff is excited about this year’s garden lineup. Three of the gardens are located in Summerville. The fourth garden is Bath Gardens in Blythe.
“We have four beautiful gardens,” she said.
About 20 minutes from downtown Augusta, Bath Gardens was once part of the resort community of Bath, Georgia, which drew notable visitors as President William Howard Taft and John D. Rockefeller.
It was a private residence for decades and has been turned into a non-profit over the past few years.
Events at Sacred Heart will include vendors as well as speakers such as Michael Seiwert, Designer and Owner of Signature Interiors; Campbell Vaughan, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent; Gerald Stephens Landscape Designer, VP of Nurseries Caroliniana; and Ashley Murphy, Owner/Herbalist, ABECA Naturals.
April 25 will feature Seedling Saturday with the Augusta University Biology and Physics Clubs will present children activities.
The event kicks off Friday with a garden party featuring music by the Mason Jars, a barbecue dinner and the first chance to buy items from vendors. The garden party requires a separate ticket from the festival itself.
The garden festival is Sacred Heart’s largest fundraiser, Huff said.The past year has seen several projects including remodeling the kitchen, she said.
For more information or tickets, go here.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
