Friends of Grand Island Parks

The Mission of Friends of Grand Island Parks is to provide support to the City of Grand Island in order to assist in developing, maintaining and increasing the value and importance of city parks as a place of natural beauty, culture, recreation and education for this and future generations.

It has been said that parks offer a respite from the world of crazy traffic, busy workplaces, and life's stressors. They give us a way to reconnect and recharge with nature while enjoying a sense of serenity. Such is a visit to the restored Stolley Park Garden.

Thanks to the benevolence of loyal donors, a great number of uplifting changes have taken place in the garden. On Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 we celebrated the many changes that have taken place at the Garden including the ribbon cutting for the Marval Hornady Pavilion.

BUT ARE WE FINISHED... ABSOLUTELY NOT! There are 14 gardens located within the Stolley Garden. The flowers and plants in each of these gardens have been selected with a theme in mind. A visit to the garden will have you strolling through a shade garden, a NE Certified Pollinator Garden, the Children's Remembrance Garden, a NE Flower Breeders Garden, a Healing Garden, the Union Pacific's Children's Garden, the AOK Waves of Color Garden, the Moonglow Garden, the Sea of Grasses Garden, the Rustic Trails Garden, the Homestead Trails Garden, Minna's Garden honoring pioneer women, and two Celebration Gardens all bordered on the north by a living shrubbery fence. Time spent in the Garden is time spent enjoying the serenity of nature.

The Friends of the Grand Island Parks also sponsors the Grand Island Kite Festival at Veterans Athletic Complex the last weekend in June. The Kite Festival takes place on the Soccer Fields and is open to all kite fliers free of charge.  The Kite Festival will include pro-kiters from around Nebraska and Neighboring States. We invite you to participate in a fun weekend of kiting and you can support the event cost by making Go Big Give donations. 

Testimonials

Enjoy a Family outing at Stolley Park and walk through the Flower Garden. Plus take in a weekend of kite flying the last weekend in June.