Invercargill residents are being invited to help themselves to fresh fruit and vegetables growing in local parks as part of Parks Week 2026 celebrations.
With the main growing season drawing to a close, several vegetable gardens across the city are now ready for harvest. Invercargill City Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said the timing was perfect for the community to enjoy the produce during the annual event.
“The vegetables in our gardens at Bluff, Otakaro Park, the Pipe Band Hall and Queens Park are in prime picking condition,” she said.
“These vegetables are freely available to the community, and we’re inviting everyone to get out and make the most of the produce during Parks Week.”
Garden beds are currently filled with silver and rainbow beet, kale, parsley, spring onions and sprouting broccoli. Signs have been placed at each site to show which beds are ready for picking, making it easy for visitors to take part.
Fruit lovers are also in for a treat. Apples and pears growing at Donovan Park and the Derwent Crescent Playground will be ready to harvest throughout the week. Across the city, more than 200 fruit trees are planted in parks, producing fruit at different times of the year.
“Many people may not realise that we have more than 200 fruit trees in our parks, with fruit that matures at different times throughout the year,” Rain said.
“Anyone is free to pick the fruit from these trees as it ripens. We just ask that you only take what you need and leave some for other people to enjoy.”
The initiative aims to encourage residents to make greater use of shared green spaces while enjoying healthy, locally grown food. Any vegetables left unpicked will not go to waste. Remaining plants will be composted or fed to the birds and animals at Queens Park before the beds are prepared and replanted with cold season crops.
Parks Week is celebrated across Australasia during the first week of March each year. The event highlights the important role parks and open spaces play in building strong, connected communities and supporting wellbeing.
More details, including a map showing the locations of vegetable beds and fruit trees, are available on the Invercargill City Council website.