After another successful season of the holiday light event, Magic at the Mill at Windmill Island Gardens in December, Windmill Island Gardens has even more programs in store before opening again this spring! Windmill Island Gardens continues the return of two once popular series with a Koffie Kletz on Saturday, January 11 at 10am, and a Make and Take class for Wildflower Cake Decorating on Tuesday, January 14 at 5:30pm!
The upcoming Koffie Kletz will feature Windmill Island Gardens Park Manager, Matt Helmus, who will cover a variety of topics regarding the park. In 1965, 'Project Windmill' was completed and Windmill Island opened to the public, and sixty years later we're still going strong! As we prepare for our anniversary season, hear an update on how we've been doing the last few years and what's in store for the next few. Helmus will cover visitor statistics, organizational health, current and future projects, upcoming programming, and more. Koffie Kletz: Project Windmill will take place on Saturday, January 11 starting at 10:00 am in the Posthouse at Windmill Island Gardens where ‘koffie’ and refreshments will be provided.
The Koffie Kletz series runs during Windmill Island Gardens’ off-season November – March. Join us on the second Saturday of each month from 10am – 11am to hear our team or a community partner ‘spill the beans’ on all things Dutch! Each Koffie Kletz will consist of an informative session about topics relating to Dutch history and culture or
community projects. Koffie Kletz events are free to attend with a suggested $5 donation for non-members. More details can be found at programs.windmillisland.com.
The next Make and Take class will be learning how to decorate wildflower cakes on Tuesday, January 14 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm right at Windmill Island Gardens. The community is invited to join the one and only Jason Kakabaker, from The Food Network's Cupcake Wars, and owner of Cakabakery in Holland and Grand Rapids, for an evening of cake decorating and lots of laughs! Their seasoned decorator, Michelle, and Jason will walk attendees through the steps of how to decorate a cake with a beautiful wildflower look that will be sure to impress at any event. Buttercream techniques, piping tricks and floral designs will be taught, while a beautifully designed cake will be brought home for guests to enjoy with friends and family. All materials and refreshments will be provided, and no experience is necessary! Class fees are $90 per person which includes a 6” 2-tiered cake to bring home. More details can be found at programs.windmillisland.com.
Make and Take classes will consist of a seasonal project that community members are invited to join us in creating at Windmill Island Gardens. Each Make and Take class will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30pm – 6:30pm and will be led by Windmill Island Gardens staff or other community arts partners creating opportunities for the community to get together to create unique pieces to take home, all with an underlying theme of gardening or Dutch culture.
To stay up to date on future Koffie Kletz events, Make and Take classes, and other programming at Windmill Island Gardens, visit our website at programs.windmillisland.com and follow us on social media.
