City of Folsom offers family fun at Landscape Festival

The city of Folsom is hosting a new event for residents this month, one focused on landscape and tree care while encouraging reduced water use. The Folsom Landscape Fest is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Mangini Ranch Elementary School, 4640 Sparrow Drive. The event will features exhibits and demonstrations, free resources, giveaways and family friendly activities. Christine Brainerd, communications director for the city of Folsom, said the city planned the event to introduce new residents from the Folsom Ranch area to all Folsom has to offer. In 2022, the city welcomed more than 2,500 new residents in the Folsom Ranch area south of Highway 50. "We are welcoming so many new community members to the Folsom Ranch area, we want to make sure they know about all the programs that we offer," Brainerd said. Brainerd said many of the newer homes were built with drought-tolerant landscapes and may feature plants residents are unaware of how to maintain. "We want to make sure we are educating Folsom residents on how to take care of the various types of landscaping," she said. The event will feature booths that highlight a number of city services. "We hope that residents have an opportunity to connect with our city and learn about our programs and rebates we have," Brainerd said. "We want to connect city services with residents and have a chance to gather as a community." Event offerings include: ·&emsp;Learn from experts about efficient irrigation practices, landscape design, tree care, water-wise plants, city water rebates, green waste recycling and more. ·&emsp;City water conservation specialists will provide demonstrations and information about water-efficient technologies such as weather-based irrigation controllers, moisture sensors and drip irrigation systems. ·&emsp;The City of Folsom Waste & Recycling team will provide free kitchen pails for collecting food scraps and have an interactive sorting activity to help residents learn how to properly sort their waste. ·&emsp;The Sacramento Tree Foundation will offer tree care tips, master gardeners will be on location to answer questions, and Green Acres Nursery & Supply will host an informational booth. ·&emsp;Meet with city officials and public safety personnel. ·&emsp;Free compost and wood chips will be available nearby at the future Prospector Park site at 4578 Sparrow Drive. Piles are self-serve and require residents to bring their own shovels and containers to load and transport compost and mulch. Families are encouraged to bring their children to the festival; games and activities will be available. The Mr. Leaky mascot will makes special appearances, and the Folsom Public Library will host an activity booth for children and offer story times at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Participants may take part in raffles throughout the event. Attendees may purchase food, beverages or treats from food trucks. For more information, contact the city of Folsom at communications@folsom.ca.us or 916-461-6013.