Hudson Gardens offer serenity and summer concerts > About Town > Stories > Littleton

RECENT STORIES

South Suburban long range recreation plan set ( YourHub.com )
Flag ceremony at Columbine Hills Elementary ( Juley Allee )
Celebrate Great Skate Month at South Suburban ( Jean Ray )
Rocky Horror Picture Show to Invade ACC ( John Scarffe )
Developmental educators at ACC for fall conference ( John Scarffe )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Littleton \\ Stories \\ News \\ About Town

Hudson Gardens offer serenity and summer concerts

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: YourHub.com on 7/23/2008

When Diane Wallach stopped for an iced latte at the cafe that sits along a pathway inside Hudson Gardens on July 23, she said, "I still have 18 miles to go."

Wallach was taking a break during a training ride for the Children's Hospital Courage Classic. The Cherry Creek resident said she often rides through Hudson Gardens.

"I like to come here, it's nice and it's pretty."

That's what King and Evelyn Hudson thought back in 1941 when they bought five acres on the South Platte River with plans to open a restaurant. Their Country Kitchen operated from 1942 until 1962 and during that time they accumulated more land.

The 30-acre site now is host to verdant slopes, trellised walkways, manicured flower gardens and an outdoor concert venue during summer months.

"We like to think of this as a gem of the community," said products and services manager Kristi Manz.

Manz said a staff of 11 takes on much of the workload at the event center.

"We have volunteers who do a lot of the work as well," she said.

According to Manz, before Evelyn died in 1988, she set up the Hudson Foundation, the name under which the private nonprofit exists today.

A walk around the grounds serves as a tribute to the instructions she left that the estate be dedicated to the "beautification through horticulture."

The gardens opened to the public in 1996 and since have expanded to offer educational programs, a summer concert series, a gift shop and meeting facility.

With Arapahoe Community College across the street, Manz said the college is one of their partners in education.

ACC provides the instructors for the continuing education classes. There are painting classes, photography classes and horticulture classes.

"There is no reason to compete with them. It's much better to work together," said Manz.

Aside from education, the center can accommodate thousands of people.

"In October we host a two-day Garden of Goodies event for kids at Halloween. Last year 5,000 people came. And our Mother's Day Brunch is always sold out."

Although many people enjoy the solitude at the gardens, it is a popular place to have a wedding or attend a family oriented concert.

"People love it for the photographs," said Manz.

She said the site opened its entertainment venue in 1998.

For Denver jazz and blues singer and songwriter Sheryl Renee, her Aug. 12 gig will be the first time she's performed at Hudson Gardens She will perform with her four-piece rhythm band a style of music she called 'soft soul.'

"It's a mix of jazz and R & B," she said.

Renee, who co-owns the talent agency Black Swan with Hazel Miller, Lori Cohen and Rhonda Jackson, said she had moved beyond reactions she received at an Aurora event, when people initially confused her with another Denver singer, who caused a stir by singing the black National Anthem at a mayoral event.

"I am glad to see it go away," she said.

Manz said concert tickets can be ordered by phone, online at www.hudsongardens.org, mail or by walking in to the gift shop at 6115 South Santa Fe Drive.

"We're open 365 days a year," she said.

upnext
Aug. 3 Air Supply with Graham Russell performs at 6:30 p.m.; Aug. 10 The Nacho Men at 6:30 p.m.; Aug. 12 Sheryl Renee at 7 p.m. Visit www.hudsongardens.org for ticket prices or call 303-797-8565

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story

Talk Back : submit comments to the story

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

Thank you! Your comment has been updated.

SAVE AND SHARE THIS STORY

digg	Google
del.icio.us	Yahoo!
reddit	newsvine

What is this?

STORY RSS FEEDS

All stories

All stories in Littleton

All stories by Karen Groves

WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?

Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is register, then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyone what events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

Loading Ad