Norma Johnson Center Chicken Barbecue and Plant Sale to be held May 13
Never has shopping for Mom been easier than at the Norma Johnson Center’s annual Chicken Barbecue and Plant Sale. The event will be held rain or shine from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 with food from Black Sheep Barbecue.
Each $9 meal will include potato salad, baked beans, bread, dessert and a drink. For those with appetites for more or additional takeaway, chicken halves will be $5.
Meals may be taken to go or eaten at the Brandywine Center just off state Route 39, three and a half miles east of Dover, or at two picnic shelters. Preordered meals will be held until noon.
Flowers provided by Stutzman’s Lawn and Landscaping will be available along with hanging baskets and flats of flowers for $15 each. There also will be herbs for the kitchen garden or window sill at $3.50 each.
The chicken barbecue has been held for the past eight years. “When the grange stopped having their annual barbecue, we took over,” said Marsha Freeland, Norma Johnson Center director. “The plant sale concept was added about five years ago. The event is a great way to welcome spring and check in at the Norma Johnson Center to see what is new.”
Freeland recommends purchasing dinner ahead of the event.
The proceeds from this year’s event have already been earmarked for an important project at the NJC: an accessible trail and fishing dock.
“We have been writing grants for this project and have raised just over $5,000 but still need $7,000 to make the docking system a reality,” Freeland said. “We have over six miles of trails open to our community members, but few are easy to use if your family members use wheelchairs or strollers. We thought this would be a great option to add, and so many would benefit.”
Freeland has been at the NJC for 13 years and has seen the programming options increase tenfold.
“Last year we had over 13,000 people attend events and programming that we offered,” she said. “We try to have one main event each month. We have increased the number of trails, built a restroom, added numerous attractions to the trail systems, cleaned up the banks of the ponds to aid our fisherman, and increased our time spent in the schools educating students on conservation topics, water and soil.”
Many educational programs will be held at the NJC this summer including children’s programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays in June. Tuesday programs will involve nature topics, and on Thursdays attendees will complete a craft. All programs are $3 per child or $9 max per family attending.
The Family Fishing Day will be held June 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. The evening of June 24 also kicks off the summer Picnic by the Pond series.
“Your family is invited to bring a picnic at 6 p.m. under the shelter on Conservation Drive, and we will offer programming afterwards,” Freeland said. “It’s a great family event to get out and enjoy the outdoors.”
The center will offer two art classes: tie dying on June 17 and water color painting on June 26.
Other events include the Ag in the City event on June 9 at Tuscora Park from 5-8:30 p.m., and the popular butterfly exhibit will run July 20-30.
For more information call Freeland at 330-339-7976.