Bowmanville Garden Walk

BCO Garden Walk 2025

The Bowmanville Garden Walk is on for 2025.

Mark Your Calendars!

The planning for this event is a process that begins as much as four months in advance. We’re excited to be continuing this event in all it’s historic glory.

Saturday, July 12, 10:00am to 3:00 pm

2024 BCO Garden Walk Photo Contest Winner – Streetscape Wonderful by Josh Yates

Amateur Photography Competition

Exhibitor Sign Up

The Bowmanville Garden Walk features over 25 neighborhood gardens each year – please consider opening up your yard this year! It doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, participants receive a visit from the group of University of Illinois Master Gardeners (if you sign up before their schedule is full), who are happy to offer lots of tips on how to take your landscaping to the next level! You also have the option to enter for potential ribbons awarded by the Master Gardeners – the Best-In-Show receives a $50 garden gift certificate. We also offer a “People’s Choice” award, which will be voted on by the public visitors. First place in the People’s Choice will also win a $50 garden gift certificate.

If you have any questions about what being an exhibitor involves, please email: BCO+GardenWalk@bcochicago.org
email the Garden Walk Committee

Garden Entry Fee: $15

Deadline for registration and payment will be Thursday, July 3!

Exhibitor sign up is a multi step process:
Step 1: Register via the linked form below.
Step 2: After registering, you will receive an invoice within a week to pay online.

Tap the button below to register via the BCO Garden Walk sign up Google form.

Registration Form

Plan Your Visit

Welcome to Bowmanville!! Whether you’re a local neighbor or visiting from elsewhere in the city, we hope you enjoy the Garden Walk.

Getting Started

Neighbors and visitors to Bowmanville are encouraged to visit one of the two Welcome Centers: One in the neighborhood Green Space at the intersection of Bowmanville Avenue and N Bell Avenue, and the other next to the Gateway Gardens at the intersection of W Balmoral Ave and N Ravenswood Ave. There you can get a map and tips for enjoying the day.

Donation

The BCO suggests a $10 donation for each Garden Walk visitor. These nominal fees help to cover the cost of materials and advertising and support the work of the community volunteers who help to make the event a success. To get the word out, the BCO leverages social media, as well as places ads in various publications.

There is ample, permit-free parking throughout the neighborhood.

Amateur Photography Competition

Whether it’s using your iPhone or a professional camera, take to the streets this spring and snap your best picture of Beautiful Bowmanville. You’re invited to enter the amateur photography competition, where your photograph will be prominently displayed in a gallery that’s open to all Garden Walk visitors, who will then vote for their favorite.

If you win, your picture will serve as the poster for next year’s Garden Walk, and be used in other Garden Walk promotional material and you will receive a garden gift certificate.

Photo Entry Fee: $3 per photo, $5 for three: limit 3 photos total per submitter. Photo submission deadline is Sunday, July 6.

Photography Competition sign up is a multi step process:
Step 1: Register via the BCO webform and upload photos via the form, or email to BCO+GardenWalk@bcochicago.org
Step 2: After registering, you will receive an invoice within a week to pay online.

Tap the button below to register via the BCO Garden Walk Photo Contest Google form.

Please remember to give each photo a title.

Keep scrolling down to check out past Garden Walk event details and poster winners!

Garden Walk Photo Contest Registration Form

The Bowmanville Garden Walk

July 12, 2025 : 10am - 3pm

For over 20 years, our signature event, the Bowmanville Garden Walk, has drawn thousands of people from across the city.

During the spring, summer, and fall, our neighborhood becomes a lush oasis in the middle of Chicago, earning its nickname, Beautiful Bowmanville. For over 20 years, the BCO’s signature event has brought together neighbors and people from across the city to celebrate the beauty of Bowmanville and creativity of those who host their gardens for visitors. Hospitable neighbors open their properties to visitors to show off the results of their hard work, and a team of dedicated volunteers makes sure that everyone feels welcome and can find their way around.

Hosted Gardens

The Bowmanville Garden Walk features hosted gardens, where the garden owners are there to welcome you into their garden and talk about their efforts.

Ask the Master Gardener

This Garden Walk hosts an Ask the Master Gardener table at the Welcome table on Bowmanville Avenue, where University of IL Master Gardeners are there to talk to you about gardening and look at any cutting or photo you bring and help solve problems and plot your next steps.

Amateur Photography Competition

Neighbors are encouraged to submit their best photo of Bowmanville to the Amateur Photography Competition. The winning photograph is featured in the next year’s Garden Walk posters, signage and promotional materials. Photos should be nature or garden related and be taken within the Bowmanville boundaries – Western east to Ravenswood and Foster north to Bowmanville Ave.

Garden Party

A Garden Party is hosted the evening of the event where all participating gardeners, volunteers and judges come together as well as members of the BCO Board of Directors to celebrate gardening in Bowmanville.

And remember, the Bowmanville Garden Walk happens rain or shine!

Bowmanville Garden Walk 2019 - photo Thomas Bock

Past Garden Walks

Posters from past garden walks celebrate the history of the event and feature winning photo entries from the previous year. Enjoy some of the past posters below. For details on any past years garden walk outcomes, check out the Summer Bowmanville Bee Newsletter from that year which includes highlights from the event.