Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By RACHEL RAIFORD | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – Those interested in celebrating Arbor Day by planting their very own tree will have the opportunity to obtain one during Alabaster’s annual Arbor Day celebration on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Alabaster Parks & Recreation will host its annual Arbor Day celebration on Saturday, Feb. 24 inside the maintenance building at Veterans Park on Highway 119. The event will begin at 8 a.m. and run until 11 a.m.

Alabaster Public Relations Manager Neal Wagner said that Arbor Day is one of the larger events the city hosts each year.

“We normally have a really good turnout at this event and it’s something that’s been growing over the past couple of years and we’re looking forward to have even more people out this year,” Wagner said.

The tree sapling distribution will begin around 9 a.m., immediately following registration. The Parks and Recreation department will also be giving away door prizes during the event at 8:50 a.m.

“Our Parks and Recreation department does a really good job of putting this on every year and they’ve kind of gotten it down to a science, especially having all of the different kinds of trees available to people,” Wagner said. “It’s something that I know they really enjoy doing, and we always have a really good turn out.”

There will be eight types of trees being given away, including jane magnolia, river birch, sugar maple, cherokee princess dogwood, pink dogwood, red dogwood, corkscrew willow and the red crape myrtle. There are limited numbers of saplings, so the city recommends  those interested arrive early to secure a number. There will be 166 trees and 200 saplings distributed for free to residents and businesses during the event.

For more information visit Cityofalabaster.com/215/Arbor-Day.