Nan Elliot Memorial Rose Garden, Carillon Concerts are breathtaking this time of year

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ALTON - The Nan Elliot Memorial Rose Garden at Gordon Moore Community Park in Alton has been regarded as one of the treasures of the vast area since it was dedicated in 1980.

This time of year it is breathtaking sea of color with 150 varieties and more than 1,600 rose bushes.

The Rose Garden has been an All-American Rose Selections show garden and won outstanding maintenance awards nearly every year. Joel Anderson is the consulting rosarian for the Alton Park and Recreation Department for the Rose Garden. Anderson won the outstanding Illinois/Indiana direct consulting rosarian award in fall 2011 and is nationally known for his work.

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Alton Public Works Director Bob Barnhart said the rose garden at the park is an “absolute wonder.”

“It is nestled back in the park and the colors are unbelievable,” he said. “We see a lot of weddings at the park. The dedication and hard work of Joel Anderson and staff has made the rose garden the finest in the Metro East area. Joel has been doing this for quite some time and is very tedious in the way he performs his work. He takes care of it like his own.”

During the summer, another treasure of Alton takes place in the weekly Carillon Concerts through the summer season. The concerts began May 28. Local musicians present a free program on their own accord each Sunday. The themes range from Broadway show tunes, Big Band performers, religious songs to sometimes a simple variety of music.

The electronic carillon duplicates the sounds of actual bells and amplifies it thousands of times.

The schedule for the rest of the season for the 5 p.m. Sunday Carillon Concerts at the Rose Garden are as follows:

• July 30 - Karen Cain
• Aug. 6 - Marge Propes
• Aug. 13 - Pam Stumpf
• Aug. 20 - Heather Rothe
• Aug. 27 - Mary Kay Mosby
• Sept. 3 - Dave Drillinger
• Sept. 10 - Rhonda Griffin
• Sept. 17 - Linda Allen
• Sept. 24 - Dale Lockard

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