History of the EGA Garden Walk: The 1st EGA Garden Walk premiered on June 24, 1973 on a sunny day with over 30 residents displaying their yards. It was billed as ‘a pilot project of the EGA Conservation Committee’. ‘Strictly a local affair’ for neighbors to view each other gardens, the entry form explained that ‘no one’s expecting a Lake Forest spectacular (garden)!’

The ’74 Walk’ went immediately into planning stages and this event has been held annually almost every year since its inception. Pony cart rides, lemonade & hot dog stands, arts & crafts displays, magic show performances, and Glenfest have been some of the additional activities scheduled during this event over the years.

As the number of display gardens increased to about 50 & became somewhat unwieldy for attendees, in 2008 the decision was made to split the neighborhood in half along Glenwood, offering West Edgewater Glen Gardens (1400 & 1500 blocks) and East Edgewater Glen Gardens (1200 & 1300 blocks) on display in alternate years. This greatly improved the walkability of our event, along with giving the display gardens (and their gardeners!) a recuperative gap year.

For the 2011 EGA Garden Walk, a ‘poison-free’ category was added to the signage and maps to recognize those gardens that are not only beautiful but also properties where no chemical pesticides, herbicides, weed & feed fertilizers, etc. are used.