The Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea

05/18/2026

Come see all the wonderful paintings created by the Garden Tour Plein Air Painters this Friday, May 22, at the Bridge Gallery Garden Tour Plein Air Painting Exhibit Opening Reception from 5–8 PM!

The Garden Tour Plein Air Paintings will be on exhibit at the Bridge Gallery from May 22 through June 15.

📍 The Bridge Gallery
8566 Shepherdstown Pike

We hope to see you there!

05/17/2026

Another successful Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea in the books.

We had an amazing volunteer turnout this year, and we couldn’t have done it without all the helping hands. A huge thank you to our Garden Tour Greeters, Girl Scouts, Saint James students, Jefferson High School NHS, EPSC, SCC members and volunteers, Rebel Girls Soccer, and Shepherd University for showing up and making the event such a success.

It’s especially nice to see so many youth organizations and community groups participating this year and helping bring the community together.

A special thank you to Patty Parrish and Errika Best for leading the event and helping bring it all together.

We also want to thank WestVirjeni for their beautiful flower arrangements that added such a lovely touch to the tour, as well as Plein Air Painters, Town of Shepherdstown, Experience Shepherdstown, and the JCCVB.

A big thank you as well to our wonderful volunteer bakers for all the delicious treats that made the tea extra special, and to our musicians for providing beautiful music throughout the gardens and creating such a wonderful atmosphere.

We were also blessed with beautiful weather, which made the day even more perfect for touring and gathering in the gardens.

And a heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful homeowners who so generously opened their gardens and shared their spaces with our community.

A special appreciation as well to our SCC members and volunteers who continuously show up and make events like this possible year after year.

Special thanks to Colin & McKenna B, Rory L, and Franklin for dedicating their entire weekend to helping—your commitment did not go unnoticed and is deeply appreciated.

A huge thank you as well to Ronnie and Matt, our dedicated dishwashers both days, for keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

Your time, energy, and hospitality helped make it a truly special weekend for everyone who attended. And if we missed anyone, please know we appreciate all of our volunteers who helped make this event possible.

05/17/2026

05/15/2026

Garden Tour Parking Guidance

Free Parking
Shepherd University Parking Lot A
Corner of High & Princess Streets
• Free all day Saturday & Sunday
• Free weekdays after 6 PM

Parking Meters
• Free on weekends & holidays
• Not enforced after 6 PM on weekdays

Street Parking
Please park only on street sides designated for non-residential parking.

DO NOT park in designated resident-only parking areas.

Thank you for helping us be good neighbors while enjoying the Garden Tour.

05/15/2026

The Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea will feature a special guest expert at one of the garden sites this Saturday from Noon–4 PM!

Dr. Laura Nixon, an Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland, has generously agreed to answer visitors’ questions about Box Tree Moth issues and management.

Dr. Nixon specializes in invasive insect species and sustainable management of insect pests affecting ornamental plants. A significant part of her work focuses on a regional response team dedicated to combating the newly invasive Box Tree Moth.

If you have boxwoods showing damage or concerns about Box Tree Moth in your garden, this is a great opportunity to speak directly with an expert.

05/11/2026

Thanks to the amazing support from our community, the Friday Night Garden Party is officially SOLD OUT!

There will be no tickets sold at the door this year. We appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and can’t wait to celebrate with you Friday night!

*Friendly reminder for anyone with tickets to the Back Alley Garden Tour and Tea or Friday Night Garden Party: please do NOT resell tickets through Facebook comments or DMs. Scammers often target event posts, and we want to keep everyone safe.

05/10/2026

Sold out! Tickets for the Friday Night Garden Party are officially sold out, but there’s still time to join us for the Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea on Saturday and Sunday.

Stroll through some of Shepherdstown’s beautiful private gardens and enjoy tea along the way.

Get your tickets here:

Ticket includes one tea service at the War Memorial Building and unlimited visits to the gardens both days. Tour Booklets may be picked up beginning at 9am on both days of the tour. The Booklet serves as your entrance to the Tea. Tickets purchased at the event are $35. Self-Guided Garden Tour: 10:

05/10/2026

05/09/2026