Kenai garden tour set for Aug. 11, focus on Leif Hanson Park

The Kenai Beautification Commission will hold its annual summer garden tour on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 5:30 p.m., showcasing work at Leif Hansen Park and the visitor center.

The commission moved the start time up from the usual 6 p.m. to fit commissioners' schedules. The tour will highlight the city's landscaping work and volunteer efforts at the park and visitor center, with other locations possible if major improvements are ready to show off. City staff said the concrete planters downtown could also be part of the route.

Commissioners talked through several August dates before picking the 11th, sticking with the Tuesday pattern from past years. One commissioner said the 18th would work better because early August gets busy, but the chair went with the 11th to accommodate another member's schedule.

The tour comes after the city's annual planting day, a volunteer event running from 10 a.m. to noon the same day. Volunteers will meet at City Hall to plant flowers around town, then head to the nearby firehouse for a cookout. The Parks and Recreation Department is also working with groups like A New Life Church, which has signed on to plant at the Welcome to Kenai sign and four other spots.

In other business, staff reported that the Parks and Recreation Commission recently recommended approval of the draft Parks and Rec Master Plan. The plan goes to city council at an upcoming work session.

The commission meets again September 8, 2026. Commissioners usually discuss capital improvement projects at the meeting after the August tour.

The garden tour is free and open to the public. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department for details.