Gazette
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THANKSGIVING POINT
WHERE FAMILIES COME TOGETHER | SPRING 2020 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
IN THIS ISSUE: People of Thanksgiving Point: Jeff Dunn
pg 3
Museums for All
pg 4
Leafcutter Ants Atta cephalotes
pg 6-7
Tulip Festival: A new tulip in town
pgs 12-13
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Gazette THANKSGIVING POINT
TO MAKE A DONATION ThanksgivingPoint.org/give
TO SCHEDULE AN EVENT 801.768.4947
TICKET SALES 801.768.4900 Toll Free 888.672.6040
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION 801.768.7478 membership@thanksgivingpoint.org ThanksgivingPoint.org/membership
EDUCATION
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
801.768.4971
GENERAL INQUIRIES 801.768.2300
VOLUNTEER INQUIRIES 801.768.7426
PUBLISHER Erica Brown Thanksgiving Point 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way Lehi, Utah 84043 801.768.2300
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Josh Berndt
ASSISTANT EDITORS Emily Duffy Jodie Fisher Rachel Olsen
ART DIRECTOR Jeremy Andrus
CONTRIBUTORS Ashton Gardens’ Gardening Staff Josh Berndt
Hannah Browne Ashley Clouse Marissa Harrison
SOCIAL MEDIA @thankspoint / Thanksgiving Point
WEBSITE
Can you believe Thanksgiving Point is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year? Those of you who remember the Fox Family Farm and what the surrounding areas looked like in 1995 likely have forgotten just how transformed this area has become. At its heart the story of Thanksgiving Point is a love story. Alan Ashton purchased the land for his wife, Karen to create a community meeting space, garden, and experience for all to enjoy. It was on Valentine’s of ’95 that the gift was given. With this momentous year upon us it is a wonderful time to reflect on the past and look ahead at the exciting future of Thanksgiving Point. Something I am thrilled to see is the first-ever “Thanksgiving Point Tulip”. Our Tulip Festival at the Ashton Gardens in April and May will now feature a one-of-a-kind tulip made specifically for us. I’m excited for you to see it! I am also very proud to announce our partnership with the Museums For All program at all five of our Thanksgiving Point venues: Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life, Butterfly Biosphere, Farm Country, and Ashton Gardens. Museums for All invites those receiving food (SNAP) benefits to visit Thanksgiving Point for a fee of $2 per person per venue, up to six people, with the presentation of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. For nearly a decade we’ve been able to celebrate Thanksgiving Point with our $2 Tuesdays in August. That program will still be available, but we are thrilled to be a part of the Museums for All family (see pg. 4 for more). Lastly, I want to invite you to discover, rediscover, or uncover something new this year at Thanksgiving Point with your friends and family. Whether it’s the Tulip Festival in spring, the Outdoor Movie Series in summer, the new leafcutter ant exhibit in the Butterfly Biosphere, or take in a National Geographic 3-D movie at the Mammoth Screen Theatre. The newest one is “Micro Monsters”! Thank you for an amazing 25 years. Happy Anniversary!
ThanksgivingPoint.org
Mike L Washburn
Thanksgiving Point Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit farm, garden, and museum complex that draws upon the natural world to cultivate transformative family learning.
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PEOPLE OF THANKSGIVING POINT Jeff Dunn, Director of Safety Services
Dunn came to Thanksgiving Point thanks to his connection with Alan Ashton at WordPerfect and Novell. “The Ashton’s took good care of us (new employees). We were all like wounded animals that needed homes and, thankfully, we had Thanksgiving Point to come to.” In the mid 90’s the Ashton Gardens were barley fields, the Thanksgiving Point golf course was packed with alfalfa fields and today’s Farm Country was still a working dairy farm. Dunn says the area was pretty remote in those days, but actor “Wilford Brimley lived close by, so there’s that!”
If you’ve attended any of the larger events at Thanksgiving Point you’ve likely seen Safety Services leader, Jeff Dunn. If it was during the summer, he rides around on his trusty Segway “Bolt” throughout the Gardens. Jeff has been a member of the Thanksgiving Point community since day one when the Ashton family bought the property formerly known as the Fox Family Farm. In fact, he was officially employee number five at the newly formed company. “I was in charge of security, handyman, fire-putter-outter, pretty much everything. In those days all of us overlapped with jobs,” stated Dunn. “Everyone even had their own snowplow, it’s just what we did. Everyone did everything!” Not unlike today there were a lot of unique people who were running things for Thanksgiving Point in the early years. Dunn recalls one in particular. “One of our main security guards,” he says with a smile. “Was afraid of the dark. Back then this area was pitch black at night so that poor guy would run the battery down on our vehicles anytime he had to check something out at night. It was nuts!” From the years 1988-1992 Dunn served in the United States Army Special Forces Green Beret. He credits his time in the service for his life’s successes. “It helped me become organized,” Dunn stated. “(The military) helped me realize my own strengths and weaknesses. A mission never went exactly as planned so you always have a plan B. That’s the same in life, too.”
While we may be without Hollywood actors on the property Thanksgiving Point has changed a lot during the last quarter century. “We have focus today,” Dunn said. “Our goals align with employees and guests alike. Everybody knows they belong here.” While safety of all people visiting Thanksgiving Point is Dunn’s priority he is proud of how far this one-time farm has come. “I promise you this much,” Dunn concluded, “you will be better from coming to Thanksgiving Point than when you arrived. It’s a special place.”
Therefore, it’s special people like Jeff Dunn that make Thanksgiving Point what it is today. In a word, special. There have been so many instrumental people who have helped create this environment. Throughout our 25th year anniversary the Thanksgiving Point Gazette will highlight just a few of those special people.
All of us have enjoyed the last 25 years at Thanksgiving Point. What’s a story or two you remember during this time? Was it a specific event or venue? Maybe you have a family tradition to share? We want to hear it! Email stories@thanksgivingpoint.org . Your story could get into an upcoming Gazette issue and/or other marketing materials. All participants will be entered into a prize pool for all sorts of cool Thanksgiving Point swag and/goodies! VOLUME EIGHT | ISSUE ONE
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MUSEUMS FOR ALL at Thanksgiving Point By Stephen Ashton, Ph.D., Director of Audience Research and Evaluation
We are thrilled to announce that Thanksgiving Point has joined the Museums for All accessibility program! Museums for All (museums4all.org) is an initiative supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). Through this nationwide program, those individuals and families receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain regular admission to Thanksgiving Point for $2 per person per venue for up to six people by presenting their SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer) card at the admission desks. Thanksgiving Point is one of more than 400 museums throughout the United States that is participating in the Museums for All program. Those museums participating in the program represent a wide variety of museums types, including children’s museums, science centers, aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, art museums, and history museums. The purpose of Museums for All is to remove the barrier of cost and encourage visitors of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. At Thanksgiving Point, we believe providing access to families and individuals of all backgrounds is important. Since 2009 we’ve provided $2 Tuesdays in August (there is no plan to get rid of that, by the way) to help with this. Since then, hundreds of thousands of guests have benefited from increased accessibility to Thanksgiving Point on $2 Tuesdays. After learning about Museums for All, we felt the time was right to join the initiative and provide the $2 access to those in need throughout the entire year. 4
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Thanksgiving Point’s president and CEO Mike Washburn explained, “$2 admission is something we’ve done because we think it’s the right thing to do. Thanksgiving Point does not receive ZAP or RAP public funding but strives to create similar discounted opportunities to welcome all by lowering admission for those in need.” One of the main reasons we decided to participate in Museums for All is because we believe that visiting museums makes a difference in people’s lives, and we have the data to back it up. We’ve learned through a recent social impact study that families who visit museums have experiences that strengthen their family relationships, increase their understanding about the world around them, and improve their personal health and wellbeing. We want all to have access to these benefits. Here at Thanksgiving Point, we’re serious about welcoming all. If you know of a family that could benefit from this new initiative, please help us share the welcoming spirit by letting them know. We hope you and your family, regardless of your background, always feel welcome at Thanksgiving Point!
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To learn more about Thanksgiving Point’s participation in Museums for All, please visit ThanksgivingPoint.org/mfa
Want to Stand Out from the Crowd?
Corporate Social Responsibility
In an increasingly competitive job market with unemployment rates in Utah at an all-time low, companies are adding a little something extra to sweeten the deal for employees.
Come volunteer at Thanksgiving Point! The opportunities are endless from planting tulip bulbs in the Ashton Gardens, painting fences at Farm Country, helping out with a Signature Experience like the Tulip Festival, or another volunteer experience we can customize for you. Don’t forget to see if your company offers volunteer grants. Some companies provide grants to nonprofits where their employees volunteer.
Thanksgiving Point is offering a unique benefit for companies to provide for their employees; a Corporate Transferable Membership. Corporate Transferable Memberships are a great way to thank employees, impress a client, or treat your out-oftown guests to a fabulous day away from the office. • A Corporate Transferable Membership admits up to eight people per visit to any of Thanksgiving Point’s five venues and is not limited to one family. • The membership allows the card holder to bring an unlimited number of additional guests at a 50% discount off admission price.
A great big thank you to the companies that have volunteered with us: 97th Floor, Adobe, Best Buy, doTERRA, Explore Utah Valley, Fluke Calibration, Goldman Sachs, Hyatt Place, Hilton Garden, Ivanti, Journeys, Lending Club, Riley Blake, Staybridge Suites, US Synthetic, Young Living To learn more about Corporate Social Responsibility, contact Ashley Clouse at aclouse@thanksgivingpoint.org.
• A Corporate Transferable Membership also grants the card holder a 10% discount on Thanksgiving Point restaurant food and retail purchases. To learn more about Corporate Transferable Memberships, contact Laura St. Onge at 801.768.7433 or lstonge@thanksgivingpoint.org.
Thank You to Our Corporate Partners 1-800 Contacts 4Life Research, LLC 97th Floor Adobe Best Buy Chick-Fil-A Coca-Cola DigiCert
Dominion Energy doTERRA Firehouse Subs Kahlert Foundation Larson & Company Lehi City Les Olson Company Little Giant Ladder
Mountain Star Hospitals NuSkin Oakdell Eggs Outlets at Traverse Mountain Podium Skipio Sprouts Swire Coca-Cola
UCCU US Synthetic Utah Broad Band Utah Valley Magazine Vivint Smart Home Walmart Zions Bank
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LEAFCUT LEAFCUTTER ANTS TERANTS By Marissa Harrison, Containment Director Butterfly Biosphere
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An up close look at a Leafcutter Queen
Leafcutter Ants (Atta cephalotes) in their nest.
Did you hear them? Tens of thousands of tiny feet marching one by one (Hurrah! Hurrah!)? The newest members of the Butterfly Biosphere’s invertebrate family have arrived: The Leafcutter Ants! Hailing from Costa Rica, this tropical species of leafcutter ant, Atta cephalotes, works tirelessly to cut pieces of leaves from the treetops and transport them to the nest – not to eat, but to feed to the fungus that they farm for food. Leafcutter ants are some of the most ancient farmers on the planet, having developed agriculture about 50 million years ago (human agriculture didn’t arise until about 10,000 years ago!). The structures you’ll see inside our nest chambers are gardens of fungus meticulously designed and tended by the ants. Once leaf fragments are brought into the nest, an assembly line of ants cuts them into smaller pieces, then mulches them into pellets, then fertilizes and arranges the pellets into piles, and finally plants strands of fungus onto them to encourage new growth.
Leafcutter colonies can contain 1-5 million ants at the height of their maturity, the queen ant laying around 150 million eggs over the course of her 15-year lifespan! Colonies this size are only successful because they work together. Aside from the queen, all of the ants are sisters, and they have specific tasks assigned to them based on their size. If you’re tiny and agile, you should patrol the fungus gardens keeping them clean and healthy by removing the weeds of foreign fungus. If your head is big enough and strong enough to cut through leaves, you’re best suited to be a forager and collect leaf pieces. If you’re really big, you should be a soldier and protect the colony from larger animals! Come check out these fascinating insects and see the world’s best teamwork in action in our newest exhibit at the Butterfly Biosphere.
In return for this dedicated care, the fungus provides special protein-rich structures for the ants to eat. This is the majority of the diet fed to the larvae – ants undergo metamorphosis just like our butterflies. A queen ant lays eggs, the larvae hatch and eat and grow, metamorphosis occurs while they are a pupa, and an ant emerges. The adult ants care for the brood inside of the fungus gardens, so you’ll be able to witness this whole life cycle if you look closer.
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FEBRUARY MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
3
4 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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6
Itsy Bitsy Science
8 Valentine’s Dinner Dance
Valentine’s Dinner Dance
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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Thanksgiving Point’s 25th Anniversary Tales for Tots
10
11
President’s Day
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
17
13 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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Mummy’s Curse
Tales for Tots
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20 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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25
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22 Backyard Gardening Workshop
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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14 Job/Volunteer Fair
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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HIGHLIGHTS
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Help us celebrate our 25th anniversary with all sorts of surprises and celebrations: Leafcutter Ants at Butterfly Biosphere, ‘Thanksgiving Point’ Tulip, and so much more.
VALENTINE’S DINNER DANCE
MUMMY’S CURSE
Show Barn
Museum of Ancient Life
Join us February 14 & 15 for an evening of live music, an exceptional three-course dinner, dancing, and more.
Back for another round of cursing is the Mummy’s Curse at the Museum of Ancient Life. Join us for a day of learning how mummies were made and other intriguing facts about the Egyptian culture.
February 14 & 15 | 7 pm - 10 pm
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February 22 | 10 am - 2 pm
MARCH MONDAY
TUESDAY Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
WEDNESDAY Tales for Tots
THURSDAY Melody Makers
FRIDAY
SATURDAY SHEroes
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
2
3 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
4 Tales for Tots
5 Melody Makers
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7 AG Day
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
9 St. Patrick’s Day
Tales for Tots
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10 Tales for Tots
12 Melody Makers
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14
20
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Tales for Tots
Melody Makers Itsy Bitsy Science
16 Tales for Tots
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17 Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
19 Melody Makers
Dino Day
Tales for Tots
Ashton Gardens Opening
Itsy Bitsy Science
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Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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HIGHLIGHTS SHEroes
DINO DAY
March 7 | 10 am - 2 pm
March 28 | 10 am - 2 pm
Museum of Natural Curiosity Celebrate the 150th year of Utah women being the first in the nation to vote under an equal suffrage law. This event will be filled with presentations and stories about the progressions we have made as a state of Utah.
AG DAY
Museum of Ancient Life Come experience Dino Day at the Museum of Ancient Life! Don’t miss fun activities that will help you learn about dinosaurs in a hands-on way, including a “Stump-a-Paleontologist” station with our head Paleontologist, Dr. Rick Hunter. Put on your best dinosaur gear—this is one event you won’t want to miss!
Farm Country
March 14 | 10 am - 2 pm Ag Day celebrates American agriculture and the important role it plays in our daily life, as well as around the world. Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use, and wear on a daily basis. Celebrate National Ag Day with us by learning about the amazing contributions agriculture provides to our community while enjoying an early spring day at the farm!
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APRIL MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Melody Makers
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1 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
TULIP FESTIVAL
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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3
Itsy Bitsy Science
Easter Eggstreme
Tales for Tots
Easter Bunny Breakfast
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TULIP FESTIVAL | April 10 - May 2 (closed Sundays) Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Lamb and Wool
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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TULIP FESTIVAL | April 10 - May 2 (closed Sundays) Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Tulip 5K
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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TULIP FESTIVAL | April 10 - May 2 (closed Sundays) Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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HIGHLIGHTS TULIP FESTIVAL
EASTER EGGSTREME
April 10 - May 2 (closed Sundays)
April 11 | 10 am - 2 pm
Ashton Gardens
Come enjoy the award-winning Tulip Festival at Ashton Gardens featuring over 280,000 tulips in hundreds of varieties, all imported directly from Holland. The 15 themed gardens throughout Ashton Gardens highlight different displays and will be sure to capture the attention of all who visit this spring. Throughout the month-long festival, there will be concerts, food trucks, and interactive educational opportunities.
LAMB AND WOOL Farm Country
April 18 | 10 am - 2 pm Sheep are the star of the show at Lamb and Wool Festival! Come watch the exciting sheep shearing process and learn about wool use and fiber arts while you spend the day at Farm Country.
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Electric Park
Bring the whole family for a fun-filled event at the annual Easter Eggstreme. At Electric Park, kids will enjoy massive egg hunts that are age-specific so that all kids go home with prizes and a smile. In addition to the egg hunts, other activities include riding the cow train, jumping on inflatables, games, and more!
EASTER BUNNY BREAKFAST Show Barn
April 11 | 8:30 am Celebrate Easter in an unforgettable way. Choose your personal preferences at our delicious breakfast buffet, along with visits from the Easter Bunny. Take home a complimentary picture with the Easter Bunny, participate in fun activities, decorating Easter eggs, and visiting a bunny petting zoo! Each ticket also includes free admission to Easter Eggstreme.
MAY MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
TULIP FESTIVAL Lyceum Philharmonic
Tales for Tots
1 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Tales for Tots
2 “A Place to Belong: Reflections From Modern Latter-Day Saint Women” Book Launch and Luncheon
Itsy Bitsy Science
Mother’s Day Brunch
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5 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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7 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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11 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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Baby Animal Birthday Party
Baby Animal Birthday Party
Tales for Tots
Create
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Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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Itsy Bitsy Science
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18 Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
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Tales for Tots
Melody Makers
Tales for Tots
Itsy Bitsy Science
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HIGHLIGHTS LYCEUM PHILHARMONIC
BABY ANIMAL BIRTHDAY PARTY
May 2 | 7:30 pm
May 15: 4 pm - 8 pm, May 16: 10 am - 2 pm
Ashton Gardens
Farm Country
The Tulip Festival closes with a fantastic finish with this amazing concert. Lyceum Philharmonic at American Heritage School performs against a gorgeous garden backdrop that you won’t want to miss.
Springtime means babies at the Farm! Join us at the party to celebrate our cute new additions, vote for your favorite names, and enjoy a slice of birthday cake, too.
A PLACE TO BELONG: REFLECTIONS FROM MODERN LATTER-DAY SAINT WOMEN
CREATE
May 9 | 11 am
Join us for the first year of our newest event held at the Museum of Natural Curiosity, Create. Come foster your creativity and celebrate the innate ability in each of us to explore and build something new. You will have opportunities to meet and learn from people in the community who have a passion for creating! With activities both inside the exhibits, and throughout the Discovery Gardens, you will be able to enjoy learning new skills such as learning to solder or building a water rocket. This is an event you won’t want to miss!
Ashton Gardens - Garden Room
Join us Mother’s Day weekend for a luncheon and the launch of the new book A Place to Belong Reflections From Modern Latter-Day Saint Women. Jeanette Bennett Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Bennett Communications will moderate a panel of some of the 33 contributors of this new book, herself included. Join us for a delightful plated lunch, meet the contributors, and visit with new friends.
Museum of Natural Curiosity May 16 | 10 am - 2 pm
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INTRODUCING THE ‘THANKSGIVING POINT’ TULIP By Ashton Gardens’ Gardening Staff
Tulip Names Currently, there are about 3,000 registered tulip names in the world. Most tulip names reflect the beauty of the variety, such as ‘Ivory Floradale’ (introduced in 1965), ‘Spring Green’ (1969), ‘Magic Lavender’ (2013). Some tulips are named for people, such as ‘President Kennedy’, our 35th president (1961), ‘Fats Domino’, a pioneer of rock and roll music (1991) and ‘Armani’, the Italian fashion designer (2002). Then there are tulips with place names, like ‘Stresa’, a resort town in Italy (1942), ‘Kiev’, the capital of Ukraine (2003), and ‘Yosemite’, our beloved national park, (2019).
A Significant Tulip for Thanksgiving Point The idea of naming a tulip ‘Thanksgiving Point’ was raised this past spring while planning to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We approached some bulb suppliers in the Netherlands and they answered us gently, as a mother would explain to her five-year-old child why they can’t drive a car. “Everybody knows it takes 8-to-10 years to develop a new tulip variety.” We yielded to their knowledge and experience.
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When Ruigrok Flowerbulbs representative, 6’ 7” tall Philipp, dropped by later in June we sat down with him to chat and look at his bulb catalogs. “And these,” he said, as he casually laid out photographs of several different tulips, “are new tulip varieties we’ve been working on for the past eight years. If there is one you like, we can arrange for it to be named after your garden.” We were astonished but kept our cool. We liked some of the tulips in the photos more than others but from the beginning there was one that stood out. Ultimately it was this one that was chosen as the ‘Thanksgiving Point’ tulip. It is a sunny yellow, lilyflowering tulip with distinct characteristics that help set it apart from other varieties in its class. The ‘Thanksgiving Point’ Tulip has been placed on the International Register of Tulip Names. It was formally introduced at the Thanksgiving Point Valentine’s Dance on the 14th of February 2020 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Thanksgiving Point. This past autumn, 9,000 ‘Thanksgiving Point’ tulip bulbs arrived from the Netherlands and were planted in several areas throughout Ashton Gardens for guests to view during the 2020 Tulip Festival. In addition, the cutting garden will have ‘Thanksgiving Point’ tulips available for purchase as cut flowers.
THANKSGIVING POINT’S TULIP FESTIVAL IS A FAMILY AFFAIR By Josh Berndt, Communications Director Each spring the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point welcomes thousands of guests from across the country. According to Pro Flowers’ experts’ tulips generally mean “perfect love.” These amazing flowers create color, awe, and such a feeling that creates a sense of newness, fresh, and clear—basically springtime. Each year almost 300,000 tulips are imported from the Netherlands and inserted into the 55-acre Ashton Gardens and more than 100,000 visitors come to the gardens to see. But, each year there are also many who are unable to physically attend the Tulip Festival. Thankfully, at the close of each season anyone can buy the actual bulbs and plant them wherever they would like. Thanks to this opportunity, my Grandma Nola is able to get her own tulip festival, right in her front yard.
Tulip Festival Guests visiting Ashton Gardens during the 2020 Tulip Festival will see the new ’Thanksgiving Point’ Tulip and superb displays of a quarter of a million other tulips, with over 150 varieties. Other mustsee spring blooms are daffodils by the hundreds of thousands, and flowering trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that bring exceptional qualities to the Gardens. The “party decorations” that accent the flower displays are very popular. Along with new features will be some returning favorites, like bicycles with baskets overflowing with flowers. All this makes a visit to the Tulip Festival a fascinating glimpse into the glories of nature, as well as a time to celebrate the relaxation and enjoyment a spring visit to the Gardens can bring.
Grandma Nola was born in 1927 in Tonga and was raised in Alberta, Canada. And has enjoyed a lifelong love with tulips because “The delight for having flowers in the spring without much effort at that time is what I really like,” she says. She continued, “By spring you are ready to work in the yard and these beautiful spots of color come as if by magic.” Grandma Nola is the wisest person I know, and I trust her knowledge and opinion on just about everything, including tulips and gardening! Therefore, the Tulip Festival has become a symbol of spring, joy, color, and indeed magic at the Ashton Gardens. As Thanksgiving Point celebrates another amazing anniversary—this one at 25 years—the Tulip Festival welcomes all people from across the globe each year. The Thanksgiving Point gardeners work yearround to create this magic. As the Thanksgiving Point Tulip gets added to the collection the magic continues. The Tulip Festival bulbs feature a grab bag of the actual tulip bulbs guests enjoy at the Tulip Festival. Because each spring the Ashton Gardens’ crew must plan a new festival, the bulbs are hand dug out of the ground and sold to anyone wishing to create their own festival or one for a loved one. Bringing the joy of spring to your loved ones is our goal each year. How grateful I am to share this joy with my dear Grandma Nola. I encourage you to do the same this spring.
presented by
The 2020 Tulip Festival runs April 10-May 2 and is closed Sundays
*Got pictures of your Tulip Festival at home? Please share with us on our Facebook or Instagram account. After the Tulip Festival we’ll pick 3 lucky winners to take home a three dozen Tulip Festival grab bag! VOLUME EIGHT | ISSUE ONE
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Sponsored By
The Secret is out! Step into the lab and be inspired by the brilliant work of Thomas Edison! This temporary exhibit engages guests in STEM learning and offers unique hands-on experiences. Exhibit is free for Thanksgiving Point members and included with regular venue admission. NOw open at the Museum of natural curiosity! Traveling Exhibit at the Museum of Ancient Life - NOW OPEN!
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Visit Source Code to learn skills that will make you into a computer genius! Pattern Matching Dot and Dash Scratch Games Drone Racing Human Robot
Come join in the fun at Farm Country on May 15 & 16 for our annual Baby Animal Birthday Party! Not only will you get to meet the Farm’s newest additions but we will have cake too! Because we have so many babies we need your help in naming them. To get you a head start color and name this baby pony (Equus ferus caballus). Then bring your favorite baby animal names to the party for a chance to win some cool prizes. See you soon.
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
3003 N. Thanksgiving Way Lehi, UT 84043
U.S. Postage
PAID Orem, UT Permit No. 110
Special thanks to our property partners: