Programs and Events

De Tuin Klas Series - Once a month March - October

De Tuin Klas or, The Gardening Class, is an all-new monthly gardening class series geared towards those who are ready to dig-into gardening at home! In partnership with the Michigan State University Extension, Windmill Island Gardens is excited to host a variety of classes covering topics like site assessment, composting, starting a vegetable garden, design tips, preserving and canning, trees, and so much more! Learn from the experts at these once a month classes from March – October on the third Thursday of the month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm for just $15 a class, or save $20 when you sign up for them all for $100! Sign up for classes here.

De Tuin Klas - Ground Rules - Thursday, March 19

Are you planning new garden plantings this season or trying to determine why certain plants aren’t thriving in your landscape? Beautiful gardens start from the ground up! Join us at Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, March 19 from 6:00pm-7:30pm for our first De Tuin Klas (The Garden Class) where Deanna F. Hedlund, MSU Extension Horticulture Educator, will help you better understand your existing site conditions before you start to make potentially costly changes, including soil testing options and what the test results can mean for your landscape. You will leave this class armed with a site assessment checklist, pH testing strips to take home, and knowledge to give your plants the best chance of flourishing! Sign up here.

Opening Day - Monday, April 13

Join us at Windmill Island Gardens for the first day of the 2026 season! Explore the park and enjoy the early signs of spring as things begin to bloom throughout the grounds!

Make and Takes - Bee Hotels - Tuesday, April 14

‘Bee’ creative with us at our next Make and Take! Using cedar wood frames and organic materials found right here at Windmill Island Gardens, our Horticulture staff will lead participants in crafting their very own Bee Hotels to hang in their garden spaces at home. These hotels are full of cozy cavities, perfect for bees and other insects to make their own, and a great way to protect your local pollinators in style! This is a cost effective and decorative way to build solitary insects a home while helping pollinators and reducing the use of chemicals for pest control for our gardens. Sign up here.

De Tuin Klas - Scraps to Soil - Thursday, April 16

Want to start composting, but don’t know where to start? We’re here to help! Join us at Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, April 16 from 6:00pm-7:30pm for the next class in our De Tuin Klas series (The Garden Class) to learn all you need to know about composting from MSU Extension Master Gardener, Ken Freestone! Composting is nature’s way of recycling organic materials and turning them into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that will help your garden thrive. Participants will take home building plans for your own composting bin to start conquering composting on your own! Sign up here.

Run of the Mill 5k & Mini Millers Kids Run - Saturday, April 18

Windmill Island Gardens' Run of the Mill is back for 2026, and we can't wait to see you at our annual 5K fun-run! This year's Run of the Mill event will take place on Saturday, April 18, where proceeds will continue to support future programs and the ongoing maintenance that helps keep Windmill Island Gardens so beautiful! The Run of the Mill 5k course will take you around the island itself and then head out to Window on the Waterfront before looping back to the island towards the finish line.

Registration is $30 per participant and includes a Run of the Mill 5k finisher medal, and a race t-shirt if registered before Friday, March 27, 2026. Please note, t-shirts are not guaranteed after March 27. While all ages are welcome to participate, children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Due to safety concerns, dogs will not be permitted during the 5k.

New this year, we are excited to offer a youth Mini Millers run! Participants ages 10 and under can join the fun where they can compete in a .2 mile route around Windmill Island Garden's main campus! Registration for Mini Millers is $15 per participant and includes a race ribbon and race t-shirt. Please note t-shirts are not guaranteed after March 27.

So what are you waiting for? On your mark, get set, register!

De Tuin Klas - Pots & Plots - Thursday, May 21

Looking to refresh your outdoor space this spring but don’t know where to start? Learn how to design a garden that will bring you joy and pride with Windmill Island Garden’s Grounds and Horticulture Manager, Emily Van Staalduinen. Join us on Thursday, May 21 from 6:00-7:30 PM for the next De Tuin Klas (The Garden Class). This class will go over basic garden design principles, factors to consider when selecting your plants,perennial, annual, and container plantings, as well as top plant picks for our area. Participants will go home with a game plan and some design inspiration! Sign up here.

Books & Blooms - Mondays, June 15 - August 10

Join us at Windmill Island Gardens for the return of our children’s summer series, Books and Blooms! Every Monday from June 15 through August 10, our friends from the Herrick District Library will kick off each Books and Blooms with a story time starting at 10:00 am followed by a fun hands-on activity lead by community partners starting at 10:30 am. Books and Blooms are free for all to attend! Just mention the event at the admission booth to join in on the fun. Books and Blooms will take place outside in the grass on the east side of the Posthouse. A parent/guardian must remain present at all times. Stay tuned for the summer activity line up!

De Tuin Klas - Garden to Table - Thursday, June 18

Do you want to start growing your own produce, but aren’t sure where to start? Join us at Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, June 18 from 6:00pm-7:30pm for De Tuin Klas: Garden to Table with our friends from the MSU Extension! This class will dive into the basics and show examples on how to start your own vegetable garden, even with limited space. Learn where, when, and how to plant vegetables, along with some tips on how to care for these plants throughout the growing season, so you can enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor! You’ll also get to take a look at the Community Garden plots in Windmill Island Gardens' de Gezellige Tuin. Each participant will leave with seedlings of their own to get growing! Sign up here.

Chalk the Walk - Saturday, July 11

Come Chalk the Walk with us at Windmill Island Gardens! On Saturday, July 11, artists of all ages are invited to visit Windmill Island Gardens and decorate our walkways with chalk! Visit us to see vibrantly colored artwork created by artist Hallie LeBlanc of Abundance Mobile Art Studio drawn LIVE throughout the park. The chalk installments will be on display as long as weather permits. Don’t have any chalk to bring from home? No problem! Chalk will be available for purchase at Visitor Services as long as supplies last.

De Tuin Klas - Garden Guardians - Thursday, July 16

Learn all the whens, wheres, and hows of maintaining your garden spaces from the experts during De Tuin Klas: Garden Guardians Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, July 16 from 6:00pm-7:30pm! Extension Horticulture Educator, Deanna Hedlund, and Windmill Island Gardens’ Grounds and Horticulture Manager, Emily Van Staalduinen, will guide you through garden maintenance best practices. Participants will also walk the campus of Windmill Island Gardens to get a real-life look at summer garden concerns and ways to address them. You’ll go home with weed-identification information and other resources to best care for your spaces! Sign up here.

De Tuin Klas - Patch to Pantry - Thursday, August 20

Enjoy the taste of garden grown produce all year long canning and preserving your homegrown fruits and vegetables! Join MSU Extension Food Safety Educator, Erica Reister, at Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, August 20 from 6:00pm-7:30pm for De Tuin Klas: Patch to Pantry to get the skills to can and preserve what your hard work yielded from the garden this year! Learn to tackle the basics like when is the right time to can, what equipment to use, and how to can and preserve food to make sure it is safe. Learn the logistics of canning and take home some great research-tested recipes and jars to get you started! Sign up here.

Bark in the Park - Saturday, August 22

Bark in the Park will return to Windmill Island Gardens again this summer, and it is the place every dog in town will want to be on Saturday, August 23… the Saturday before National Dog Day! Celebrate your dog’s special day with us from 9:30am – 1:00pm to find all the best places in town to bring your pup! Find groomers, trainers, animal hospitals, tasty treats, accessories, and more from local organizations. Pet paw-rents can even find accessories for themselves from local creators! More de-tails coming soon!

Art on the Island Gala - Thursday, September 3

The annual Art on the Island Gala will be back this year on Thursday, September 4 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm! Come enjoy the beauty of Windmill Island Gardens through inspired artwork created by local artists, and if you see a piece you love, all the artwork will be for sale! All artwork will be evaluated and awarded prizes by our judge, but we invite you to attend and vote for your favorite piece in a People’s Choice vote, too! More details on how to register as an artist coming soon.

De Tuin Klas - Branching Out - Thursday, September 17

Landscaping is more than just beautiful garden beds! Join us at Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, September 17 from 6:00pm-7:30pm for De Tuin Klas: Branching Out where MSU Extension Horticulture Educator, Deanna F. Hedlund, will discuss what to look for when selecting trees at a nursery, how to plant your tree, and how to care for it after it is in the ground. Participants will see a live tree-planting demonstration and even get a small tree to take home to plant! Sign up here.

De Tuin Klas - Bulbs & Beyond - Thursday, October 15

Learn how to get a head start on prepping your garden spaces for next season before winter hits at Windmill Island Gardens on Thursday, October 15 from 6:00pm-7:30pm for De Tuin Klas: Bulbs & Beyond! Learn all the tips and tricks from the experts on how to prepare your garden for winter, including when and how to plant bulbs, before the ground freezes! Explore ways to prepare your garden in autumn for spring growth. Each participant will leave with some of the tulip bulbs varieties that we plant each year right here at Windmill Island Gardens! Sign up here.

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