BIGLER – The Walker Gardens in Bigler will display graceful statues surrounded by beautiful flowers when it reopens to the public Sept. 3, Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 for the benefit the Bigler Area Charities. Among the fine statues is “Venus At the Bath,” sculpted in France around 1750.
The gardens, owned by Ray and Louise Walker, officially closed its doors to the public in the fall of 2001 but held a special opening last fall.
This fall the open gates will offer another opportunity to see 10 acres of fall flowers blooming amid waterfalls, historic sites and an old English garden. Hours of admission are from noon to 5 p.m. each day.
Musical entertainment will be provided on Sept. 3 and Sept. 10 by the 14th Street Jazz Band and the Daisy Baton Twirling group will perform Sept. 9. Another big attraction, the Garden of Eden display, complete with Eve and apples, will again be on display, and visitors will also be treated to the sight of swans and peacocks.Among the other favorites in the gardens is an old mill, a replica of early mills of Clearfield County, and an old log cabin also linked to Clearfield County history.
Visitors will enjoy the rose garden, as well as a display of the evolution of the fence beginning with an old stump fence and moving through to wrought iron.
Homemade bean soup will be on the menu for visitors from the cooks from the Bigler United Methodist Charge under the direction of Faye English and Agatha Flood.This charge includes churches in Bigler, Shiloh and Dale, and the charge is one of the members of the Bigler Area Charities. Other foods available include hot dogs and hamburgers as well as soft drinks, coffee and deserts.
Other members of Bigler Area Charities which all benefit from the garden opening are the Bigler YMCA, a branch of the Clearfield YMCA since 1988 and offering community programs and events for youth and adults, Boy Scout Troop 20, Cub Scout Pack 20 and Girl Scout Troops in Bigler.
As in the past, admission to the garden is $3 for those 18 years of age and over, $2 for those 12 to 18 years of age and $1 for those 11 years of age and under.
Members of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops of Bigler, will be selling hardy chrysanthemums.The mums, of different colors, will be sold in 8-inch pots.
Free parking is available adjacent to the gardens. Bigler Boy Scout troop members will assist with parking, and the Bigler-Jackson-Woodland Fire Police will be on hand to assist with traffic flow.
To get to the Walker Gardens, take state Route 322 west seven miles from Philipsburg or east eight miles from Clearfield to the Bigler traffic light and intersection. At the intersection, signs will provide directions.