The 2026 Garden Walk was filled with beautiful gardens, creative spaces, and unexpected works of art, including the return of the Forest Park Arts Alliance Garden Pole installation. Thanks to the help of the Park District of Forest Park, these unique pieces found a new home and brought an extra layer of creativity to this year’s walk.
Originally displayed at Constitution Court, the garden poles are a wonderful example of how public art can transform a space and invite the community to slow down, look closer, and appreciate the creativity around them. Surrounded by gardens, plants, and visitors throughout the day, the poles felt right at home as part of this year’s Garden Walk.
The installation featured four unique pieces from local artists:
Garage Organic by Anthony Izzo
Using materials found in the H&R Auto garage that the Park District moved into, Anthony Izzo transformed everyday objects into a one-of-a-kind garden sculpture. The piece incorporates items including nuts, bolts, chicken wire, zip ties, and leftover rubber squares from the construction of the Forest Park Aquatic Center splash pad. Izzo’s vision was to create something that looked almost alive, as if it might “burst out of the ground” and become part of the landscape itself.
Peppy Petals by Tamara Koransky
Bright, bold, and full of personality, Tamara Koransky’s floral-inspired garden pole celebrates the joy of color. The Oak Park artist and elementary school teacher created the piece with inspiration from her love of floral mandala artwork, spending more than 12 hours painting the vibrant flowers that cover the pole.
Anniversary by Steve Metro
Created by retired engineer and lifelong woodworker Steve Metro, this red, white, and blue piece commemorates America’s 250th anniversary. The twisted wood elements give the sculpture a sense of movement, bringing energy and life to the garden. The piece was donated by Metro to the Forest Park Arts Alliance auction and purchased by Garden Walk organizer Kristen Lyons, who wanted to make sure the community could enjoy this simple yet beautiful creation.
Green Man Exposed by Bridget Lane
Blending handmade ceramics with living greenery, Bridget Lane’s sculpture reflects her passion for bringing art into everyday life. Inspired by her years working with clay, Lane created a piece that celebrates nature, regeneration, and our connection to the environment. She generously donated the garden pole to the Park District of Forest Park.
The Garden Pole installation is a perfect representation of the creativity and community spirit that makes Forest Park special. Whether through gardening, sculpture, woodworking, ceramics, or repurposed materials, these artists remind us that beauty can be found in unexpected places.
A special thank you to the Forest Park Arts Alliance, Anthony Izzo, the Park District of Forest Park, and all of the artists who helped bring this project to life and make the Garden Walk even more inspiring.

A heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible Garden Walk hosts!

This year's walk featured eight stunning private gardens, along with the beautiful grounds at the Forest Park Public Library and the Park District of Forest Park, including the Arts Alliance of Forest Park's Garden Pole installation.
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Every one of these gardens is the result of countless hours of digging, planting, weeding, building, and dreaming. Even more impressive was the warmth and generosity of our hosts, who welcomed hundreds of visitors into their personal spaces with smiles, stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into creating these special places.
Forest Park gardeners truly embody the DIY spirit. Visitors sampled honey from backyard beehives, tasted homemade pickles and hot sauce, admired one-of-a-kind sculptures and artistic touches, and one garden even happened to feature a delightful teapot collection, a perfect fit for this year's Tea Time in the Garden theme. Each stop reflected the creativity, craftsmanship, and personality of its gardeners, making this year's Garden Walk a wonderful celebration of what makes Forest Park such a unique and inspiring community.

Thank you for opening your gates and sharing your passion with all of us!

As we wrap up another wonderful Garden Walk, we want to thank everyone who helped make the day possible, especially everyone who came out to tour the gardens! Thanks to your support, this was our biggest Garden Walk yet, and we couldn't be more grateful.


Thank you to our incredible volunteers and board members. We couldn’t do it without your time, enthusiasm, and dedication. A special thank you to board member Kirsten Lyons, whose countless hours of work help bring the Garden Walk together, and to our newest board member, Mary, for generously hosting the pre-party for our hosts, sponsors, and volunteers.


A big shout-out to the Forest Park Garden Club for volunteering year after year, contributing to our raffle, and especially to Meghan Hunt, who makes sure every garden host is honored with a special award.


It wouldn't be the Garden Walk without Smokey Joel's! Thank you to Joel, HSFP's Vice President, for returning each year and generously donating the proceeds from the hot dog stand to support the Historical Society.


Thank you to our Tulip Sponsors: Park District of Forest Park, Cardinal Advancement Services, and April Baker Homes. We also appreciate our Booklet Sponsors: AA Rental, SBC Waste Solutions, McAdam, Pollinator Pathways, and Kiwanis.
Finally, thank you to our raffle donors: Michelle Melin-Rogovin, Kiwanis Club of Forest Park, Jennifer Quinlan of Soup & Bread West, and everyone else who helped make this year's raffle such a success.
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It truly takes a community to make the Garden Walk bloom, and we're grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you for making this our biggest and best Garden Walk yet!

Congratulations to our 2026 Garden Walk People's Choice Award winners, Christian Altman & Enrique Zuniga!
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They first opened their garden for the Garden Walk in 2019, and wow has it grown since then! We were so thrilled to welcome them back for a second Garden Walk and even more excited to see them take home this year's People's Choice Award. Their hard work has truly blossomed. Congratulations!

What a night! We packed the house at Charlie’s Restaurant on Friday for an unforgettable evening exploring Roosevelt Road’s fascinating mob history.

Guests gathered at the very site of the former Armory Lounge, once associated with Chicago Outfit boss Sam Giancana, for an engaging illustrated presentation by Bret Juliano. Through historical research, rare stories, and examples from his comic series Dust Bunny Mafia and Based on a True Story, Bret brought Chicago’s organized crime era to life while highlighting connections to Forest Park and Roosevelt Road.

The evening blended local history, true crime, and visual storytelling, giving attendees a fresh perspective on places they pass every day. Guests enjoyed their small bites boxes, browsed Bret’s books before and after the presentation, and filled the room with great questions and conversation.
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A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this one of our most well-attended programs. Special thanks to Charlie’s Restaurant for hosting and to Bret Juliano for sharing his research, artwork, and passion for uncovering the stories hidden in our local history.

Finding Dr. Joseph Corbin’s gravesite is now easier at Forest Home Cemetery.

There is a new sign in Section F with an arrow pointing the way. The Historical Society of Forest Park had the sign made to help people find this National Historic Place and learn more about Dr. Corbin.
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Thanks to Forest Home Cemetery for installing the sign and for being a great partner in helping keep this history easy to find and connect with.

Isaac from Buttons of the Left framed his May Day talk around the powerful words of Haymarket martyr August Spies, who, when sentenced to death, declared: “It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out. The ground is on fire upon which you stand.” Using pinback buttons from different eras, Isaac showed how that “subterranean fire” has continued to burn through generations of working class struggle. Though movements are often suppressed, the message carried in these small objects shows they are never extinguished.


His talk traced the 140 years since the Haymarket Affair, highlighting how the fight for workers’ rights resurfaces again and again in new forms. Through the imagery and slogans on the buttons, Isaac connected past struggles to the present, showing that the spirit of resistance and organizing remains constant even as the times change.


Buttons of the Left is an archive and educational project focused on the materials used to educate, agitate, and organize for progressive change. The project collects and preserves buttons as important artifacts of working class history, while also sharing the context and meaning behind each item. Through exhibits and presentations, Isaac brings these objects to life, helping students, workers, and the public better understand the movements that shaped them and the ones still unfolding today.

On May Day 2026, community members gathered to honor Paul Price as the recipient of the Mark Rogovin: Working Class Heroes Award. Local residents of Forest Park, along with Paul’s family and many of his fellow workers from the Laborers Union, came together to celebrate his achievements and the legacy of Mark Rogovin. Mark lived in Forest Park for 50 years and was deeply dedicated to the Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument, labor history, and anti war activism. This annual award is given in his name to honor those who continue that work.

Paul Price’s career reflects decades of labor organizing and advocacy. He began organizing workers at a grocery store in Utah and was later fired and blacklisted after leading a union drive at a mouse pad factory. He went on to help pass a living wage ordinance in Bloomington, Indiana, and played a key role in a campaign that helped janitors across three Midwestern cities nearly double their wages and secure family health insurance after four years. He also helped residential construction workers in the Southwest recover $500,000 in stolen wages.

Today, Paul works with the Laborers Union in Chicago, defending construction workers from predatory developers and contractors. His work reflects the spirit of the award and the legacy it was created to honor.

​🏆 People’s Choice & Best Storytelling in Miniature
Han Huie
​Ladies Day Every Sunday at the Parichy Stadium
A fan favorite that truly knocked it out of the tiny park!

​🏆 Most Imaginative Use of Scale
Ben Pfaff
Police. Fire. Work Ignored in Copter Crash
A scene that took creativity to new heights and proved big ideas can come in small packages.

​🏆 Best Craftsmanship and Detail
Michelle Contreras
A House that Goes Bump in the Night
Every inch of this piece was frightfully well done, with details that reward a closer look, if you dare.

​Thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening of Small Scenes, Big Stories: Forest Park Dioramas. Even with the rain, you showed up in a big way to celebrate these small-scale creations, and it made for a truly memorable evening. From tiny details to big bursts of creativity, the room was full of little moments that made a lasting impression.
We are also grateful to our judges for lending their time and expertise: Little Perspectives artist Ian Pfaff, Forest Park tour guide and author Amy Binns-Calvey, and Jessica Mordacq, Staff Writer for the Forest Park Review.
If you missed the reception, there is still time to experience these mini masterpieces. The dioramas remain on display at the Forest Park Public Library until April 6th, and we highly recommend seeing them in person to catch all the small but mighty details.