Friends to Garden Dinner

To develop a best in class, accessible, inclusive and sustainable raised bed garden and as such it will:

• Manage and maintain our 50+ raised gardening beds to promote use by gardeners with varied abilities and mobility
• Engage gardeners, volunteers and governance members from the diverse surrounding communities
• Strengthen community relationships across physical and social barriers
• Promote the health and well‐being of participants
• Encourage reciprocal economic connections with nearby businesses.
• Improve the gateway to Allegheny Commons Park, Deutschtown and the Northside
• Provide space to host appropriate social, educational and cultural events in an area facing systemic barriers

• Signage Improvements (coming soon)
• Garden Entry and Shed Accessibility, Safety, and Security Improvements (coming soon)
• Perimeter Water Lines for Water Accessibility (coming soon)
• Blacktop Mural (coming soon)
• 15 Garden Bed End of Life Rebuilds
• Repurposed Wood for a New Large Shared Bed
• Orchard Outside of the Garden
• Soil Testing
• Annual Easter Egg Hunt
• Deutschtown Pride

• Educational Banners
• Solar Panels and Battery Power Generator
• Additional Rain Barrels
• Mural Expansion
• Bioswale Rain Garden and Firefly habitat
• Bug Hotel, Bird Houses, Bat Boxes
• Propagation Station
• More Garden Bed Rebuilds
• Continued Community Engagement Events!

• Welcome Cocktail/Mocktail Prepared by one of our own gardeners
• Artisan Fruit & Cheese A generous spread of chef selected wedges and slices of domestic and imported, hard and soft cheeses, specialty jams and varied mustards. Garnished with grapes, seasonal fruits, and fresh herbs. (GF/veg) Gourmet crackers on the side.
• Sweet Peach Crostini Palisade peaches, whipped ricotta, and prosciutto, drizzled with lavender honey
• Fresh Garden Honey
• Screen Printing Print your own Community Garden branded T-Shirts with Artist Image Resources (AIR)

• Blackberry Orchard Salad Blackberries, romaine ribbons, spring greens, pepitas, crumbled lemon stilton cheese, Blackberry vinaigrette (GF/veg)
• Chicken Milanese Lightly breaded chicken breast, spring greens, heirloom cherry tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, and shaved parmesan cheese (Antibiotic-free, organic)
• Lemon Piccata Salmon with capers and lemon dill aioli (GF) (Wild-caught, sustainable seafood)
• Basil Pesto Penne Pasta roasted tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, olive oil, & Locatelli cheese (veg /nut-free)
• Summer Grilled Vegetables zucchini, squash, sweet red pepper, broccoli, asparagus (GF/vegan)
• Chilled Fruit-Infused Water Decanter

More details to come!

• Local Craft Beer Provided by Allegheny City Brewing and East End Brewing Company
• Wine An assortment of wines
• Non-Alcoholic An assortment of NA drinks

Opportunity to build on numerous high quality silent auctions, prize raffles, and 50/50 raffle. All money exchange is handled digitally on Zeffy.com

Each year we host ~100 guests from the neighborhood and beyond. It is an amazing way socialize, build connections with the community, and for gardeners to show their loved ones where they spend much of their free time

These funds help us sustain and improve the garden for the community to enjoy!

In the event of inclement weather we will do our best to make accommodations to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests. We recommend checking the weather forecast before attending and dressing accordingly. 

We want our guests to feel comfortable and express their individual style. Feel free to dress in whatever makes you comfortable & confident. Guests typically wear a range from smart casual to date night attire. Shorts and jeans are welcome. 

There will be a welcome cocktail, local craft beer, and an assortment of wine available throughout the evening. While we want everyone to have a good time, the safety of our guests is our top priority. We encourage responsible drinking and ask that if you choose to drink that you do so in moderation. If you plan on consuming alcohol, please arrange for a designated driver or utilize alternative transportation options to ensure a safe journey home.

Your dietary needs are important to us. We want to do our best to ensure that all guests can enjoy the event to the fullest. Please let us know immediately of any allergies. We will try our best to accommodate them.

There is parking available near the entrance for those with mobility limitations – please reach out to us in advance of the event if you require this accommodation. The space sits on a single level with accessible pathways between the garden beds. The bathroom at the venue is wheel chair accessible.

If you would like to continue your evening we highly recommend a visit to one of these exceptional neighborhood establishments.

• Monks Bar at The Priory Hotel, 614 Pressley Street – Open until 11pm. 
• Allegheny City Brewing, 510 East Ohio Street – Open until 11pm.
• The Eastman, 520 East Ohio Street – Open until 10pm.
• EYV, 424 East Ohio Street – Open until 9:30pm.
• Fig & Ash, 514 East Ohio Street – Open until 11pm.
• Government Center, 715 East Street – Open until 2am.
• Siempre Algo, 414 East Ohio Street – Open until 11pm.
• Monks Bar at The Priory Hotel, 614 Pressley Street – Open until 11pm. 

The garden and event are located on the North Side between the Sue Murray Pool and Nova Place at 300 Stockton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Parking is quite limited. We encourage attendees to consider alternative forms of transportation, such as carpooling, ridesharing, using public transportation, biking or walking to reduce the demand for the limited parking spaces. The small lot adjacent to the garden accommodates 10 cars. Its entrance is off of Stockton Avenue between Anderson & Sandusky Streets. We do have access to the parking lot of building behind the garden for overflow. That lot is located on East Commons. To get there from Stockton take a right onto East Commons and it will be the first parking lot you see on the right hand side. The gate to exit the auxiliary lot will be closed & locked during dinner. Please let a gardener know should you need the gate to be opened during that time.

2024 Friends to Dinner Garden Playlist by Justin Johnson