Published in the May 3, 2017 edition

LYNNFIELD — Townscape Lynnfield, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profit, has announced that the 30th annual Geraniumfest and Kids’ Day will take place on Saturday, May 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lynnfield Middle School.

At Geraniumfest, residents can buy a diverse selection of premium flowers at the perfect time to begin planting. Currently, residents can pre-order flowers and save money. Special prices for geraniums, Knock-out Roses, and mandevillas are available when pre-ordered by Saturday, May 6.

Forms to order these flowers remain available at both Post Offices, Town Hall and the library and at many businesses around town, as well as for download on the organization’s website, www.townscapelynnfield.org. After that, premium flowers will only be available for sale on the day of Geraniumfest, starting at 8 a.m. on May 20.

Once again this year, along with geranium plants, there will be an offering of colorful annuals and perennials for purchase. For a healthy and lasting garden, this is the perfect time to plant just prior to Memorial Day. All plants are locally grown in Massachusetts. Credit cards will be accepted the day of the event.

At Geraniumfest, Townscape will also have a stunning selection of hanging baskets and patio containers as well as geraniums for purchase that day. All the proceeds from the sale of geraniums go toward purchasing trees for Lynnfield.

Kids’ Day events

Alongside Geraniumfest, attendees can also attend the Kids’ Day event. This year, the larger event will begin at 9 a.m., but residents can arrive early for flower sales and rides in Big Max, the tethered hot air balloon donated by Re/Max Leading Edge, from 8-10 a.m. The hot air balloon will only be used if the weather cooperates.

Also available to children and their families will be a visit from Wally the Green Monster, provided by Marjorie Youngren Team, Century 21 Commonwealth; a Game Truck featuring 20 video game consoles; Laser Tag provided by Lahey Health; a petting zoo of baby animals provided by Northrup Associates Realtors; Gymja Warrior Ninja Training; pony rides, face painting and balloon animals; a Lynnfield Youth Soccer station; kids’ games sponsored by Lynnfield Recreation; kids’ gardening offered by the Village Garden Club of Lynnfield; an adrenaline rush obstacle course and Camp Eastman.

Geraniumfest will also feature touch-a-truck with vehicles from Lynnfield’s municipal departments as well as the Batmobile, Massachusetts Pipeline and Four Star Towing. There will also be bouncy houses and Kids Live Music and Movement Class and Kids Bootcamp, provided by The Village, a moms group on the North Shore and the second annual coloring contest for kids 12 and under sponsored by the Lynnfield Villager.

Food and dessert trucks will be in the center of the event. Currently, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and Cupcake City are slated to attend. A fashion truck will also be at the event featuring a MiniEmporium where participants can see all the unique styles for children available. There will also be some fantastic vendors featuring local community groups and artisans as well as a great raffle.

Those who have questions about this event can visit the Townscape website for more information, or simply email townscape.communications@gmail.com. Residents can also stay up-to-date on this event by following Townscape on its Facebook page, Townscape Lynnfield, which includes the listing of many sponsors who have helped make this event possible. Tickets are now available for purchase through Townscape’s website: www.townscapelynnfield.org/geraniumfest-2017/.

The tickets are $20 each with a family maximum of $50. They’re available for purchase online through Townscape’s website, in person at Lynnfield Middle School from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 19, or at the event itself on Saturday, May 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beautifying the town for over 30 years

Townscape has raised funds for and planted trees in Lynnfield for over 30 years. In fact, Townscape has planted over 1,000 trees since its inception in 1985. Over the years, Townscape has planted “memorial” trees, such as the Al Merritt Memorial Tree in front of Lynnfield’s Town Hall and rare trees, such as the Sequoia trees near Pillings Pond and the Japanese Maple near Main Street in the town center, in addition to many trees to replace those torn down by construction or lost to age and weather conditions.

Townscape takes an enormous amount of pride in the fundraising and work that it does each year, in conjunction with the Tree Committee and the Department of Public Works, to contribute to both the tree canopy in town as well as to the aesthetic of this “Tree City, USA.”

This event supports Townscape’s continued efforts to improve outdoor community spaces in Lynnfield, most particularly its tree canopy, playing fields, playgrounds, and most recently, Forest Hill Cemetery.