Tutus, Touring, & Other Terrors w/ Nigel Burgoine
Saturday, October 24 ~ 9:30am to 11am
Behind the Screams at the Ballet! Join Nigel Burgoine, former principal ballet dancer with the London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and award-winning artistic director, as he gives insight into touring the world with a professional ballet company. Backstage and onstage hysterical and hair-raising situations in performances!
This event is free, but registration is required. Space is limited to 20 participants.
Nigel Burgoine is a classical ballet instructor and choreographer. He is a graduate of the Royal Ballet School and a former Principal Dancer with the London Festival Ballet. Burgoine has danced around the world in Australia, Brazil, Africa, China, and throughout Europe. He danced principal roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Nutcracker, and Romeo & Juliet to name a few. He is the past Artistic Director of Toledo Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet, as well as the past Director of the British Ballet Organization. Burgoine implemented education programs for companies and communities throughout the world. Burgoine has choreographed productions of Nutcracker, Cinderella, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Carmen, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Coppelia, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Ugly Duckling, Little Mermaid, Snow Queen, Jungle Book, The Great Pancake Escape, Snow White, Pinocchio, Meema the Lemur Becomes a Ballerina, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and A Night Before Christmas At the Museum. In 2020, Burgoine was the recipient of the Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts in Arts Education. He is married to Anne Marie Getz.
Read & Recharge: Bring Your Own Book Club
Sunday, October 25 ~ 6pm to 8pm
Sunday, November 29 ~ 6pm to 8pm
Relax and unwind by the fire as we spend a cozy evening together in Virginia’s House, enjoying good books and good company. Grab something from your TBR pile and join us for Read & Recharge: Bring Your Own Book Club.
We’ll begin by sharing what we’re currently reading and chatting about our favorite books, then settle in for a quiet hour of uninterrupted reading time. We’ll wrap up with a little more time to socialize. If you’re immersed in a great book, simply keep reading!
The evening will be hosted by Jennie from 577’s Welcome Center & Curiosity Shop. A lifelong reader with a background in education and a love of learning, Jennie will help guide introductions and discussions before and after the reading time.
We’ve loved seeing this new gathering grow throughout the summer and are excited to continue welcoming book lovers each month. Join us on the last Sunday of the month from 6pm to 8pm to connect, relax, and enjoy dedicated time with a good book. No fee and no registration required.
Please Note: This gathering is intended for adults ages 18 and older. We’ll meet in the Library of Virginia’s House.
Storytime at 577
Storytime continues this fall! Gather with Miss Jane, 577 friends, and occasional guest readers for favorite stories, songs, movement, and playful activities.
Fall Storytime is free and open to all, with no preregistration required. It is best suited for ages 2 to 6, though siblings of all ages are welcome. Each date will feature one session at 10am, held on the Outdoor Stage or in Virginia’s House depending on the weather.
Fall Storytime Dates
- Monday, October 26 at 10am
577 After Hours: Starry Skies & Firelight
Saturday, November 7 ~ 6pm to 8pm
Join us on Saturday, November 7, from 6pm to 8pm, for a special ticketed fundraising event for adults ages 21 and up. Experience the magic of 577 after dark with seasonal food and drinks, live music, fireside gatherings, creative activities, and more. Proceeds will support 577’s Children’s Nature Play Fund, helping create more opportunities for children and families to explore, discover, and connect with nature.
Tickets are $65 per person. Space is limited, and advance registration is required.
Annual special events include April’s Earth Month Celebration, May’s Plant Sale featuring tomatoes, veggies, native plants, and the Music in the Gardens series beginning in June. Plus, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for pop-up special events in the Gardens and Curiosity Shop.
Events are free, family-friendly, and open to all!
Accessibility & Accommodations: We strive to create welcoming and inclusive experiences for all visitors. Please note that 577 includes a variety of surfaces and terrain, and accessibility varies among our historic buildings. If you have accessibility needs or require reasonable accommodations to participate in a special event, please contact us in advance so we can help you plan your visit and provide appropriate support whenever possible. View additional accessibility information on our Plan Your Visit page.
Mark Your Calendar: 577 Annual Special Events
Joy & Light
Go Green Day
Annual Spring Plant Sale
Music in the Gardens
Joy & Light: A Celebration of Art, Music, & Community
We’re looking forward to welcoming the community back to 577 for Joy & Light: A Celebration of Art, Music, & Community on Saturday, December 5, from 12pm to 4pm.
After a beautiful first year, Joy & Light returns for another afternoon of music, creativity, and time together. We’re excited to welcome back harpist Rebecca Swett, Sylvania Northview Tri-M Music Honor Society, and Pride of Toledo Chorus to fill Virginia’s House with live music throughout the afternoon.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to get creative as we bring back the community art project, adding another way to slow down, make something meaningful, and take part in the day.
Joy & Light: A Celebration of Art, Music, & Community
- Saturday, December 5
- 12pm to 4pm
- Free and open to the community
More details, including the performance schedule and art project, will be shared soon.
Special thanks to Hartmann • Bogan Financial Planning, our 2026 presenting sponsor, for helping make Joy & Light possible.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!
What a day! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Go Green Day with us at 577. It was so special to see the grounds filled with people exploring, creating, and connecting.
Go Green Day is a free community event celebrating sustainability with hands-on activities, garden discoveries, and creative experiences for all ages. Whether you’re planting seeds, getting crafty, or exploring the natural world, it’s a fun and engaging way to connect with nature and your community.
Go Green Day is a free event. Rain or shine.
Celebrate Earth Month with 577 in April!
Virginia Secor Stranahan envisioned 577 as a place where people would “learn to love the land.” While the world celebrates Earth Day on April 22, here we honor it every day.
Join us in April, as we highlight the many ways we can all make small changes that make a big impact in protecting the planet. By taking action and working together, we can help ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Sustainability and the environment are one of 577’s key pillars. During April, many of our classes are tailored towards keeping our planet green, reusing and repurposing, and exploring new ways of loving the environment around us. Through sustainable art, and learning about & implementing greener practices, we can lead by example and inspire others to make the change(s) too.
Annual Spring Plant Sale
Thank you to everyone who joined us for 577’s Annual Spring Plant Sale this year! We loved seeing so many gardeners stop by to explore the organically grown vegetables, herbs, annuals, and native plants cultivated by our horticulture team.
Every plant purchased helps support 577’s mission, including the programs, gardens, grounds, and community experiences that make this place so special throughout the year. We’re grateful to everyone who took a little piece of 577 home to grow in their own gardens.
And a special thank you to our horticulture team for all of the planning, planting, growing, and care that goes into preparing for this annual spring tradition.
Looking ahead to next year? Watch for details and dates for the 2027 Annual Spring Plant Sale in early 2027.
Thank You for a Wonderful Season of Music in the Gardens!
Another season of Music in the Gardens has come to a close, and we are so grateful to everyone who spent a summer Saturday with us at 577.
From June through September, the gardens were filled with live music, familiar faces, new visitors, families, friends, and neighbors enjoying time together. Thank you to everyone who brought a lawn chair, found a spot in the gardens, wandered the grounds between performances, joined us inside on rainy days, and helped make each concert feel like a true community gathering.
A special thank you goes to all of the musicians and performers who shared their time and talents with us throughout the season. From jazz and folk to classical, rock, country, a cappella, and more, each performance brought something different to 577 and gave our community another way to experience the gardens.
And finally, our sincere thanks to Hartmann • Bogan Financial Planning, our 2026 presenting sponsor. Their generous support helped make all four Music in the Gardens concerts free and accessible to our community throughout the summer.
Thank you for making Music in the Gardens 2026 such a special season. We loved spending these summer Saturdays with you and look forward to welcoming music back to the gardens again.
Become a 2027 Event Sponsor
Help make next year’s signature gatherings even more memorable. In 2027, 577 will host Go Green Day on Saturday, April 24—a full day of hands-on eco activities, family fun, and community action focused on sustainability and conservation—and the beloved Music in the Gardens summer concert series, which fills the gardens with live music and connection all summer long.
Event sponsorship provides meaningful community visibility and a custom package of promotional benefits while directly supporting free, high-quality programming for visitors of all ages.
If you are interested in becoming an Organizational Sponsor to support 577’s mission year-round, or would like to learn more about 2027 Event Sponsorship opportunities and benefits, please contact Kelly Hirsh, Assistant Director of Administrative Operations, at 419-874-4174 or khirsh@577foundation.org.