An Arbor Day celebration at Mellon Park

Friends of Mellon Park (FOMP) hosted their first ever Arbor Day Celebration on April 30th! Mellon Park is the city’s first public arboretum, so what better place for an Arbor Day celebration? The event included live music, food trucks, guided tree walks, a tree planting, and activities set up by local organizations. Mayor Ed Gainey and Councilperson Erika Strassburger were both in attendance as advocates for the park and Pittsburgh’s other public spaces. Mayor Gainey also planted a tree with the help of Pittsburgh’s City Forestry department and FOMP members. The Obama Academy’s marching band performed and had everyone dancing along, and even Smokey Bear showed up to promote wildfire safety and prevention.

The SHUC booth hosted an arts and crafts activity where participants created artwork inspired by tree paintings by famous artists, including Piet Mondrian, Gustav Klimt, Bob Ross, and Taki Katei. See some of the tree paintings created by young artists below.

Thank you to the Friends of Mellon Park, Tree Pittsburgh, City Forestry, and all of the partner organizations who came together for a day to celebrate Mellon Park, appreciate its beauty, and bring East End neighborhoods together to enjoy the sunshine and this beautiful park!